Chris Auckley September 25, 2019 MOTrackFanatic@outlook.com
Seventeen athletes with Missouri ties will compete at the biennial outdoor track and field World Championships that will be held over ten days in Doha, Qatar. The meet, is held in odd-numbered years, coming the year after an Olympics and then two years later, the year before the next Olympics. The competition is usually contested in August, but with this year’s meet being held in the steamy Middle East, its’ been pushed back to late September and early October. Competition begins Friday, September 27 and wraps up Sunday, October 6th. This will 17th edition of the meet with the first one held in 1983. Two different versions of a World Championship meet were held in 1976 and 1980 before the current regular biennial version was adopted in 1983.
The event is one of five track and field, or “Athletics” as the rest of the world calls it, global championships overseen by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the sports world governing body. The Olympics, held every four years in an even year is the most prominent event in the sport, followed by two Outdoor World Championships, and then two more indoor track and field World Championships that are held over several days in March, in even-numbered years, in a four-year span.
The IAAF’s also supports the annual Diamond League track and field circuit, which consists of 14 major track and field meets around the world every year. They crown champions and help hand out lots of prize money and glory. While the Indoor World Championships is a world championship meet, it contests many fewer events than in a standard outdoor track meet and has many fewer athletes than a global outdoor championship meet. After the Olympics, the World Outdoor Championships is second biggest meet in the World, bringing together the best athletes from around the world and contesting many events that produce history making performances and moments.
Countries can send three athletes per event who have met the meet qualifying standard. Additional berths are allowed thru byes, given to defending World Championship champions, and Diamond League champions. Also, the IAAF invites athletes who are close to meeting the qualifying standard and additional entries from countries who already have 3-5 entries, to have an adequate field sizes for all events. The target number for athletes per event range from 27-56 for track events, 32 for field events, and 24 for the heptathlon and decathlon. The marathon target number is 100, while the 20 and 50k race walks vary from 30-60. Sixteen countries will be accepted in each relay. Countries without any athletes meeting a qualifying standard are allowed to send one athlete to compete and represent their country. This year’s meet has 1,972 entries, 1,054 men and 918 women. Two-hundred and ten teams will be represented, almost all countries while a refuge team and authorized Russian athletes that have been cleared from the Russian Federation doping scandal. The cleared athletes will not represent their home country, but be neutral athletes simply competing as unattached individuals.
Seventeen athletes who are Missouri born, Missouri raised, former Missouri High School prep competitors, former or current Missouri college competitors, or have close connections to the state, are currently entered in the meet. Fifteen are Missouri natives, Missouri raised or competed for Missouri high schools or colleges, while two others are “adoptees”.
Deanna Price and Gwen Berry looking for medals in the Hammer Throw
Deanna Price (Lambert), Moscow Mills, MO. Troy High School, Southern Illinois University, Nike/New York AC
SB/PR/AR of 78.24 is 1st in both categories with Poland’s Wozi? Injured
Sits 4th on All-Time World List, behind former World Record holder Berry Heidler of Germany, current world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland, and Tatyana Lysenko of Russia, who had been reportedly previously had a doping suspension last decade, was stripped of her 2012 Olympic Gold after a positive drug, and earlier this year hit with an eight-year doping suspension. Lysenko’s #3 All-Time mark came in 2012, a month before her Gold Medal performance which has since been annulled.
The former Troy Buchanan High School All-State throw thankfully chose track and field over softball for her college sport.
Price picked up the hammer earlier than most. Price did so as a high school underclassman with Coach Gary Cooper at his Throw for the Road Hammer Club training ring and sector in Troy. After success in the shot and discus at Troy, Price quickly continued progressing at Southern Illinois University for head coach, St. Charles, MO. native and four-time US Olympic thrower Connie Price-Smith and her husband, throws coach John Smith.
Price made the 2012 US World Junior Championships as a college freshman where she was a Team USA teammate of fellow Missourian Courtney Frerichs. Price went on to win two NCAA Division I hammer throw national titles in 2015 and 2016. She was the USA runner-up in 2015 and placed 4th at the Pan-Am Games, 2nd at the North American Central American Caribbean Championships (NACAC), and came up short of making it out of the qualifying round at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
In 2016, Price set the American Collegiate record in the hammer throw with a 72.66m/238-5 toss. After her second straight NCAA title, she broke the All-Time Collegiate out of season record with a toss of 73.09m/239-10. Both her her college records have since been broken and bypassed, two which include her World Championships teammates Maggie Ewen and Brooke Anderson.
Price placed third at the 2016 Olympic Trials and made the Rio Olympics Final, placing 8th. In 2017, Price placed third at the US Championships to make her second senior World Outdoor Championships team. In London, Price made her second straight global championships final, taking 9th.
2018 was a magical year for Price. After setting the American record on June 2nd, she lost it six days later, on her birthday, to fellow Missourian and former training partner Gwen Berry. However, a couple of weeks later in Des Moines, Iowa at the USA Championships, Price reclaimed the American and North American record with a toss of 78.12m/?? to also break the meet record and put her ? on the All-Time World List.
In early August, she won the NACAC Championships in Toronto, competing on another of the many US Teams she has made. Price finished her 2018 campaign on September 8th, when she captured the hammer title at an two-day international meet with athletes from around the world, the IAAF Continental Cup in the Czech Republic. Countries were allowed one athlete per event. The result was notable because Price defeated the World Record hold Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland. Wlodarczyk is rarely beaten, having gone undefeated for three years straight in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Wlodarczyk of Poland was elevated to the 2016 Olympics Gold after the original winner from Russia was punished for doping. Price’s defeat of Wlodarczyk broke an 8-meet win streak, after opening the season with ninth and second-place finishes. While Price earned the Gold at the Continental Cup, former US Junior World Champs teammate Courtney Frerichs took the silver in the steeplechase for the US.
In October, Price married her former Southern Illinois University teammate and coach J.C. Lambert. Lambert became the SIU throw coach when coaches Price-Smith and Smith took jobs at the University of Mississippi, and has coached her since.
This year, Price won a third-consecutive USA Indoor Weight Throw medal with her second runner-up finish, a year after winning the title. After third and second-place finish at meets in Japan and China in May, Price threw a season world leading toss of 77.43m in June. In late July at the USA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, it was De Ja Vu for Price. She again broke the American, North American, and USA Championships meet record and had an emotional celebration with family members. With victory in hand, Price had a final round toss of 78.24m/?? The mark didn’t move her any higher up the All-Time World List, but got her closer to third position holder and recent 8-year doping suspension acceptorTatyana Lysenko of Russia, who’s 2012 mark is 78.51. Germany’s Betty Heidler is number two on the list with a 2011 mark of 79.42. Wlodarczkyk’s World Record is 82.98m from 2016.
Gwen Berry, Florissant, MO, McCluer High School, Southern Illinois University, Nike/New York Athletic Club
Berry’s 76.46 is 3rd on season list, while PR of 77.78 is 2nd , 2nd US list, 5th AT World List
Berry was an All-State triple jumper while competing in many events at McCluer High School. She threw the shot put a time or two in a heptathlon, but Berry committed to Southern Illinois University to be a pentathlete and heptathlete. It didn’t take long for Berry to give up the jumps, sprints, and hurdles and focus on the throws. Berry became one of the top weight and hammer throwers in the country and a solid shot-putter.
Despite always being atop the NCAA Division I performance list in the weight and hammer throws her final couple of seasons, Berry struggled to find success at nationals for coaches Connie Price-Smith and John Smith. Big meet struggles continued for Berry her first few years of post-collegiate action. However Berry finally put it together, winning several USA Track and Field Indoor weight throw titles, and set a World Record in the event in 2017??? Unfortunately the event is almost exclusively contested in the United States, and is not on the competition schedule at the World Indoor Championships.
Rodgers sprinting for first individual medal, first relay gold
Mike Rodgers, St. Louis, MO. Berkeley High School, Lindenwood University, Ok Baptist U, Nike
Tied for 11th on Season Word List with 9.97 best, PR of 9.85 is 4th best in field
His PR from 2011 Tied for 14th on World All-Time list, Co-World Record 4×100 Holder, Tied for 6th on US List, just ahead of Carl Lewis
Michael Rodgers shined at Berkeley High School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District just north of St. Louis city, for legendary coach Rod Staggs and the legendary Bulldog program.He followed Staggs to Lindenwood University where he helped head coach Lane Lohr’s Lions to NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Titles while earning several individual and relay national crowns. As a freshman in 2004, Rodgers placed 5th and 6th in the 100 and 200-meters at the USA Junior Championships. Rodgers performance earned him his first USA Team berth, as a member of the 4×100 relay pool for the World Junior Championships in Italy. Rodgers didn’t get to race in the prelims or final as an alternate, but his 4×100 squad earned the Gold medal.
Rodgers qualified for his first USA Senior Track and Field Championships in 2005, making the 100-meter semifinals. At the 2006 USA Championships in Indianapolis, Rodgers finished 6th in his preliminary heat and didn’t advance.
After a questionable administration decision to make a coaching change and hire a coach who was a friend of an administrator, and who would eventually resign mid-way thru his first indoor track season to take a football coaching job, Rodgers transferred to Oklahoma Baptist University, where he continued to dominate NAIA competition his senior year.
Rodgers qualified for his third USA Outdoor Senior Championship meet in 2007, again in Indianapolis, after wrapping up his college eligibility. Rodgers ran a wind-legal 10.10 in the prelims for a new personal record. He placed 14th in the semis. While there, Rodgers got to see his sister and Berkeley High School junior Alishea Usery place 4th in the Junior 400-meter dash to make the USA team for the Pan-Am Junior Games.
It was in Indianapolis at the US Championships in 2007 when Rodgers met coach Daryl Woodson. The pair would team up and Woodson would guide Rodgers to become one of the best US 60/100-meter dash sprinters ever. Three weeks after USA’s, Rodgers was competing at meets all over Europe.
Woodson’s training groups is based near Austin, Texas. With his guidance, Rodgers quickly made a name for himself on the national and international track and field stage. Rodgers won his first USA title with a 6.54 60-meter dash clocking at the 2008 Indoor Championships in Boston. Two weeks later at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Spain, Rodgers looked like he might win the 60-meter dash World Title in his first professional season. Rodgers won his semifinal with another 6.54 time. In the final, Rodgers moved slightly in the blocks before the gun and got out slow, but officials didn’t call a false start. That almost surely cost Rodgers his first World Championships medal. The meet was held before the one false start equals a disqualification rule that was later adopted. A warning, and second chance likely would have meant a medal and maybe World Title for Rodgers.
Outdoors, Rodgers continued to travel, not just Europe, but the World, to compete. At the 2008 USA Olympic Trials, Rodgers placed 7th in the 100-meter dash final, just missing a spot on the Olympic 4×100 relay pool. Rodgers ran a 4.1/meters-per-second wind-aided 10.01 clocking, a personal best, though not wind legal for record purposes. Rodgers kept having top finishes from 2nd to 8th at meets all over the world, including Golden League meets, the most prestigious circuit of meets and the predecessor to the current Diamond League.
Rodgers got his 60-meter indoor time down to 6.51 in 2009. Then, at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships, Rodgers, really stamped his name on the USA Track and Field scene. In the 100-meter semis, Rodgers won his heat in a 4.1/mps wind-aided time of 9.85 seconds. He kept it rolling in the finals, winning his first USA Outdoor title, running a 9.91 wind-aided time with 3.1/mps wind behind him.
At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Rodgers won his opening round heat, qualifying round heat, but a 5th-place semi-final finish, kept him out of the 100-meter dash final by one spot. Unfortunately, Rodgers missed out on his first World Outdoor Championships medal as the US 4×100 squad was disqualified in the qualifying round.
In late August of 2009, Rodgers ran his first wind-legal Sub 10-second 100-meter dash, a 9.98 in Switzerland to place 4th in a Golden League meet. He added a runner-up finish in the 4×100 at the meet.
Rodgers won a second USA Indoor 60-meter title in 2010, and captured the silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in the 60-meters in Doha. 2011 brought another US 60-meter title, clocking a prelim 6.49 and final 6.48-seconds.
At the 2011 Prefontaine Classic, Rodgers took 2nd, scorching the track in a wind-legal 1.1/mps wind to clock 9.85-seconds. Rodgers took 3rd at the US Championships.
The 2012 Olympic Trials were a heart-breaker for Rodgers. A fourth-place 100-meter finish meant he’d be in the 4×100 relay pool and be an Olympian with a chance to win a 4×100 medal, but that he wouldn’t be competing in the open event. A foot injury threatened his first Olympic experience and before the London Games got started, he was sent home. According to reports, team doctors determined he was too injured to compete and USA squad was limited on number of athlete credentials they could carry, so Rodgers was replace in the 4×100 pool.
2013 saw another Prefontaine Classic runner-up finish and a third-place US finish. In a loaded field, Rodgers placed 6th in the World Outdoor Championships in Moscow. Rodgers and his US teammates took second to Jamaica and Usain Bolt in the 4×100 in 37.66 seconds, as Rodgers captured his first World Outdoor Championships medal. Rodgers finished the 2013 Outdoor season with 7 100-meter dash meet wins, another odd-distance 150-meter win, and a ninth win in a 200-meter race in Austria.
2014 produced a 9.80 wind-aided clocking at the Prefontaine classic for a runner-up finish. 2.7/meters-per-second wind was over the allowable 2.0/mps for record purposes. Rodgers captured his second US 100-meter crown at the 2014 USA Outdoor Meet. Rodgers finished second at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup and captured the 4×100 title in Marrakesh.
At the second-ever World Relay Championships in 2015 in the Bahamas in early May, Rodgers teamed up with Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, and Ryan Bailey to tie the American Record in the 4×100 of 37.38. The time matched the London Olympic performance by Team USA, a team Rodgers would have been on had he not been injured.
Rodgers placed 3rd at the 2015 USA Outdoor Champs. At the 2015 World Outdoor Championships in Beijing, Rodgers looked primed to win his first World Outdoor Championships medal. He ran a 9.86 time with just 0.9/mps wind at his back, taking second in his semifinal. In the final, Rodgers took a respectable 5th, behind Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, Trayvon Bromell, Andre De Grasse, and ahead of Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell. In the
4×100 final, it looked like the quarter of Bromell, Gatlin, Gay, and Rodgers might finally end the reign of Usain Bolt and his fellow Jamaican countrymen. Leading on the last turn, an anchoring Rodgers appeared to get out too soon, had to slow down, and didn’t receive the third baton exchange until he was out of the legal exchange zone. Bolt and Jamaica won another title and Rodgers and the US were disqualified.
Rodgers made another World Indoor Team in 2016, taking 6th in the 60-meter final in Portland, Oregon. The 2016 Olympic Trials ended in a second Trials 100-meter 4th place finish. Rodgers was healthy for the Rio Olympics, but his 4×100 squad took third before being disqualified on controversial out of zone 1st exchange in the final.
In 2017 Rodgers and his US squad won another World Relay Championships title. After a 6th-place USA Outdoor finish, Rodgers was selected to run both the 4×100 prelims and finals at the London World Championships. Rodgers and the US won the silver medal, losing out to Great Britain as Jamaica was disqualified in Usain Bolt’s final meet before retirement. The medal was Rodgers second World Outdoor Championships 4×100 medal.
Rodgers just missed out on a 2018 World Indoor Championships berth. With the top-two finishers at USA’s making the World Team, Rodgers just missed scoring enough points on the IAAF World Indoor Tour to earn an at-large berth.
Frerichs shooting for second straight medal, Quigley injury may keep her out in Steeple
Courtney Frerichs (Humphreys), Nixa, MO./HS, Univ of Missouri-Kansas City, New Mexico, Nike/Bowerman TC
Frerichs SB of 9:09.75 puts her 7th on yearly list, PR/AR of 9:00.85 puts her 4th in field, 7th on World All-time List
Born outside of Chicago to Missouri natives, Frerichs and her family moved to Nixa at an early age. Frerichs succeeded at gymnastics and soccer. She dabbled in track and field in high school when she could squeeze it in-between soccer for Nixa. Then as a senior, ran her first year of cross country. She was on her way to a top-15 finish at the Class 4 State Cross Country Championships before taking a spill very late in the race and ending up 54th. Frerichs retired from gymnastics and focused on running in the fall and winter of her senior year. She signed with UMKC to run and where she quickly excelled. As a freshman she placed second at the 2012 USA Junior Championships in the steeplechase to make the World Junior Championships US squad with fellow Missourian and future Olympic teammate Deanna Price.
Frerichs was a two-time All-American in cross country at UMKC, while also earning All-American honors in the Indoor 5k and outdoor steeplechase. As a redshirt junior in 2015, Frerichs was the NCAA Runner-up in the Steeplechase in 9:31.36 to fellow Missouri and future Bowerman Track Club teammate Colleen Quigley. After graduating and having a year of eligibility left, Frerichs looked at several schools for graduate school and a place to complete redshirt senior year. Frerichs decided on New Mexico as she followed UMKC distance coach James Butler to the Albuquerque and its nearly mile-high altitude.
Frerichs continued to flourish. She led to the Lady Lobos to the 2015 NCAA Division I Cross Country national team championship with her fourth-place individual finish in Louisville. The day was made even more memorable as she was proposed to after the awards ceremony by boyfriend, former UMKC teammate, and former Rock Bridge High runner Griffin Humphreys. Frerichs capped her college career by improving from 2nd to 1st in the steeplechase at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Not only did she win a national title, but she broke the meet record in 9:24.41.
A month later, Frerichs placed 2nd at the Olympic Trials in 9:20.92 to make the USA Rio Olympics team. Frerichs cruised to the final, then placed 11th out of 18 in the Olympic final in 9:22.87, behind Quigley in 8th, and fellow American Emma Coburn who medaled in 3rd. It was another sign of the huge stride forward for American distance running. The women’s steeplechase was first held at a global championship in 2005 at the World Championships. Eleven years later, the US put three in the top 11 at the Olympics.
Frerichs set a personal record (PR) at the 2017 Prefontaine Classic with a 5th-place 9:19. She followed that up with another runner-up US finish to qualify for her first Senior World Championship. After taking third in her preliminary race at the London World Championships to qualify for the finals, the unthinkable happened. Coburn and Frerichs beat the dominant Kenyans to go 1-2. The pair pulled off one of the greatest performances and surprises in USA Track and Field history.
Coburn set a championship meet record with a 9:02.58, while Frerichs was just behind her in 9:03.77 for a big PR. The awards podium photo of the pair was the USA Track and Field Twitter header photo for what seemed like until just recently.
With no global championships berth on the line at the 2018 USA Championships, Frerichs again took second to Coburn in late June. A month later, Frerichs had another unforgettable life moment. In Monaco, Frerichs took second at the Herculis meet in a new American record time of 9:00.85, bettering Coburn’s 9:02.58 2017 World Championships mark. Frerichs followed that with a 9:07 clocking in Belgium, then in September earned the Silver medal at the IAAF Continental Cup, joining fellow Missourian Deanna Price as medal winners at the meet.
In February of this year, Frerichs set a new 5k PR with a 15:12 clocking at an indoor meet in Boston. With this year’s World Championships pushed back almost two months later than usual, she and many other pros decided to run at the USA Cross Country Championships in February in Tallahassee. In just her third 10k race ever, Frerichs had a sixth? Place finish to earn a spot on Team USA for the biennial World Cross Country Championships. Frerichs ran the World Cross Country Championships 12k in Denmark on March 30, placing 75th in 40:59.
Frerichs opened her 2019 outdoor season with a 4:15 1500-meters in May. In late June, Frerichs ran to a 5th in the Prefontaine steeplechase in 9:09.75. Two weeks later she ran a PR 4:11.05 1500-meters in California. She cruised to another easy USA runner-up finish in Des Moines in late July to make her second Senior World Outdoor Championships team.
She enters the Doha World Championships with the 7th-fastest time on the season among the steeplechase entries. Her 9:00.85 PR is the 4th-fastest in the field and makes her the 7th-fastest woman ever in the event.
She and Coburn like primed to be in contention again for medals.
Colleen Quigley, St. Louis, MO. Nerinx Hall HS, Florida State, Nike/Bowerman Track Club
Quigley’s SB of 9:11.41 puts her 8th on yearly list, PR 9:10.27 is 9th best in field, 3rd fastest American all-time
Sisson looks to continue amazing 3-year run, battle for 10k medal/PR/AR
Emily Sisson (Quinn), WI/NE/Chesterfield, MO/Parkway Central HS, Uof WI/Providence College, New Balance
4th on yearly list with PR 30:49, which puts her 5th on PR list
Sisson’s 30:49 10k in March at the Stanford Invitational, puts her 6th on the All-Time World list, and the 3rd fastest American, 64th on AT World List, behind many suspected dopers
The oldest of four daughters of Mark a 4:02 miler at Wisconsin, and Nancy a gymnast at Wisconsin, Emily Sisson was born and grew up outside of Milwaukee, WI. The Sisson’s moved to Omaha when Emily was around 11-years old. Sisson became an elite middle school runner and placed third at the Foot Locker High School Cross Country Championships as a high school freshman. The Sisson’s were set to move to Lee’s Summit the summer before Sisson’s junior year of high school, but a job move ended up changing from the Kansas City are to St. Louis. The Sisson’s ended up in Chesterfield where Emily spent her junior and senior years. Sisson’ continued to show she was one of the best high school runners in the country, making several USA Track and Field Junior teams and taking third again as a senior at the Foot Locker Championships.
After running for Team USA at the World Junior Cross Country Championships, Sisson skipped competing for Parkway Central her senior track season. That moved likely allowed her to set the US High School 5k national record in July of 2010 at the World Junior Track and Field Championships with a 15:48 clocking.
Sisson shined in college, first at Wisconsin, then at Providence College. Sisson led her team to the national title in cross country in 2014 with a 7th-place finish. Sisson set the collegiate record in the Indoor 5k with a 15:12.22 in February 2015, a few weeks before claiming her first NCAA title, the Indoor 5k. Sisson added the 5k NCAA title in June 2015.
Sisson had a disappointing 2016 Olympic Trials in her first professional year. She took 10th in the 10k, fading from contention in the last 3000-meters, then scratched out of the 5. However since then, Sisson has been nothing less than spectacular. Sisson has torn-up the track and the roads, while racing many different distances, including her first marathon this year. Sisson ran the second-fasters half-marathon for an American woman in January, just 5-seconds off the American Record. Her time of 1:07.30 puts her 80th on the All -Time World List. In late March, Sisson ran a 30:49 10k on the track at the Stanford Invitational to become the 3rd fastest American woman ever, a time that puts her 64th on the all-time world list, behind more than a handful of suspected performance-enhancing drug users. Sisson ran one of the fastest debut marathon’s for an American ever with her 2:23.08 6th place finish at the London Marathon in late April.
Sisson’s late March 30:49 10k gives her the fourth fastest time this season among World Championships competitors, and her personal best is slower than just five other runners.
Sisson will try to improve on her 2017 World Championships performance where she placed 9th in 31:26. A lot of things can happen in 6.2-mile race and 25 laps around the track, but Sisson should be in medal contention with four Ethiopians and fellow American and part-time training partner Molly Huddle.
Schweizer set for first World Track Stage in 5k
Karissa Schweizer, Urbandale, IA, Dowling Catholic HS, Univ of Missouri, Nike/Bowerman TC
PR set in July of 15:01 puts her 16th on season list, PR list is 16th
Schweizer’s PR on July 9th put her 19th on the USA All-Time List
2x NCAA Champ Annelus’ first USA team is World Champs squad in 200m
Angie Annelus, Kansas City, MO., Grandview HS, UCLA, USC redshirt Jr/Sr/grad student
4th on season list with SB/PR of 22.16. PR puts her 7th on PR list, Tied for 20th on All-Time US List
Kansas City native Anglerne (Angie) Annelus was a superstar at Grandview High School. She became one of the fastest female sprints in the 100 and 200-meter dashes in state history, winner many Class 3 State Titles. She began her college career at UCLA where she qualified for one NCAA Outdoor national meet in the 200-meters and 4×100. After her sophomore year, she moved across town in Los Angeles and transferred to the University of Southern California.
At the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Or. Annelus led off the Lady Trojans 3rd-place 4×100 squad. A couple of hours later she was the surprise 200-meter dash winner out of lane seven. She also placed 15th in the 100-meter dash. The historic and viral performance of USC’s 4×400 anchor leg Kendall Ellis who came from nearly 30-meters back to catch Purdue at the finish line, gave the Lady Trojans the team national title as well. Annelus skipped the USA championships in 2018 in favor of rest and recovery after a long college season.
This year, Annelus took 13th in the NCAA Indoor 200-meters, though cranked it back up for outdoors. She was the Pac-12 Champion in the 4×100 and 200-meters while taking second in the 100-meter dash. In June at the hot and humid NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, Annelus ran the second leg of USC’s national champion 4×100 relay. She ran a personal 100-meter best of 11.05 in the prelims for 3rd, then took 7th in the final. After a short time to recover, Annelus edged out LSU freshman and 100-meter champion Sha’Carri Richardson for her second straight 200-meter national title. Annelus clocked a jaw-dropping, wind-legal 22.16 time to edge Richardson by 1/100th of a second.
After fellow Missourian Taylor Werner took 2nd in the 5k for eight team points, Arkansas and USC were tied for first heading into the final event the 4×400. Both teams had qualified for the relay final. Unfortunately the drama didn’t last long as USC lost their baton in a crowded bunch on the third turn of the second leg. There was no time to recover and while they finished, Annelus and USC had to settle for a second-place team finish.
The pushed back World Championships meant a long college season got even longer for Annelus and the many collegians who competed at the US Championships in late July in Des Moines. Annelus looked great in both the 200-meter opening heats and semifinals. In the meet’s second to last event, Annelus was in lane 5 for the 200 final. She got out solid, but in the last 40-meters it looked like along year was catching up with her. Despite hard late charges from Teahna Daniels and Phyllis Francis in lanes seven and eight, Annelus held on. She made her first USA team and was headed to Doha. Annelus held off Daniels and Francis 22.71 to 22.73 and 22.74, running into 1.3/mps wind.
It would have been easy for Annelus to turn-pro before the US Championships or even after making the World Championships, team especially having already graduated from college. She appears to have taken a different path and started graduate school and will compete her redshirt senior year at USC. Annelus PR and season best (SB) of 22.16 put her fourth among the World Championships meet entries, and gives her the seventh best PR among the group. Her time also ties her for 20th on the All-Time USA performance list.
Considering all factors, the championships could go many ways for Annelus. Having competed in her first race nearly 10 months ago with many 60/200/100/200/4×100-meter races in that time, Annelus could bow out in the 200-meter opening heats or semis without anything to be disappointed about, especially on her first US team and in her first international meet. However, with her experiences of coming up big at big meets and the discipline and maturity she’s displayed, don’t be surprised if she make the podium and brings home some hardware from the Middle-East.
Lightfoot set to wrap up his collegiate freshman season in pole vault at World Champs
KC Lightfoot, Lee’s Summit, MO, Lee’s Summit High School, Baylor University Fr/So
Season and Personal best of 5.76m ties him for 17th, though he went ?? at street vault?
PR 7.76 tied for 39th on US AT List
Bartelsmeyer to cap amazing first pro year at Worlds in 1500 for Germany
Amos Bartlesmeyer, St. Louis, MO. MICDS, Georgetown, Nike, Germany
His Season and Personal best put him 33rd on the season performance list in field of 47
12th on German All-Time List, 6th on Mile List
Born in Germany, Baretelsmeyer and family moved to St. Louis when he was three.
Finley looking for second straight medal in discus
Mason Finley, Kansas City, MO, Colorado, Univ of Kansas, Univ of Wyoming, Nike,
Finley is 10th on season list with 67.13m and his PR of 68.03 puts him 10th, 18th on US AT List
Nebraska native, Mizzou alum and long time Missouri resident Ben Plucknett is AR holder with 71.32
Finished 7th at USA, but 3rd-6th didn’t have standard
Smith leaping for another global champs long jump final
Tyrone Smith, Bermuda, Chicago, Ill, University of Missouri S&T, PR from May 2017, T for 96 World AT List
Smith is 27th out of 27 on season list with 7.96m jump, but his 8.34 PR ties him for 10th in the field
Born in Bermuda, Tyrone Smith and family made it out of the Bermuda Triangle and moved to North Chicago when he was around 5-years old. A decent but spectacular high school track and field athlete ended up in Rolla, Missouri at what’s now the University of Missouri of Science and Technology. Smith flourished under assistant coach in the horizontal jumps, especially the long jump. He earned multiple All-American honors for head coach Sterling Martin and assistant Schiding. He’s likely become the greatest athlete that ever wore the Miners uniform.
Smith continued to make strides post-collegiately.
Thomas set for another global champs high jump
Donald Thomas, Bahamas, Lindenwood University, Auburn University, Nike
Thomas’s season best indoor mark of 2.27 tie him for 27th on performance list, PR 2.37, Tied for AT #26
2007 Indoors 1st 2.33m 7-7.75 to win by more than 3’2007 NCAAOutdoors 3rd at 2.29 7-6.00 in great comp with Andrea Manson of Texas 2nd with 7-6 also, and Scott Sellers of K-State 1sg with 7-7.25
Tied for 4th on All-Time Indoor Collegiate list at 2.33m/7-7.75, behind Brian Brown (Mizzou) 3rd at 2.34m7-8 Northwestern State LA. DT Tie for 7th on Collegiate outdoor list with 2.34m/7-8 best In season,
2.35m/7-8.5 in July and August of 2007 . Tied for 5th best all time for in and out of season best.
Kinsey looking for best global champs high jump finish
Erika Kinsey, Sweden, University of Central Missouri, Puma,
Kinsey is tied for 10th on season list with 1.96m, PR 1.97 is tied for 16th, 3rd highest Swede
A former teenage standout, Kinsey gave up track and field for several years to play other sports including hockey. She returned to the sport and ended up in Warrensburg, Missouri competing for University of Central Missouri co-head coaches Kip Janvrin and Kirk Pederson. Kinsey won several national title in the jumps, helping the Jennies to the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Division II national titles in 2015. Kinsey married former UCM assistant coach Daniel Kinsey, a former decathlon standout at Akron, who now coaches her on the professional circuit in her specialty the high jump, while also occasionally competing in the long and triple jump. . Kinsey placed 8th at the 2016 World Indoor Championships, competed at the Rio Olympics, where she came up short of making the finals. This will be the third World Outdoor Championship for Kinsey, who will be looking to make her first final after missing out in 2015 and 2017. Kinsey improved to 7th at the 2018 World Indoor Championships.
Kinsey has personal bests of 1.97m/6-5.5 in the high jump, 6.51m/21-4.25 in the long jump, and 13.11m/43-0 in the triple jump. Her season best of 1.96m/6-5.25 ties her for tenth among entries, while her PR 1.97 gives her the 16th best personal best among entries.
Hackett hoping for 4×100 relay medal
Semoy Hackett, Trinidad & Tobago, Lincoln University of Missouri, LSU,
Simpson shooting for another 1500m global medal
Jenny (Barringer) Simpson, IA/FL, University of Colorado, New Balance
SB of 3:59.93 puts her 12 on yearly list, PR of 3:57.22 puts her 5th, 3rd fastest American, T37 on World AT List, though behind many like Chinese and European dopers
Card set for 2nd global meet in discus
Kelsey Card , Carlinville, Ill/Carlinville HS, University of Wisconsin, First to the Finish
Cards SB of 63.33m is 15th best, while PR of 63.52m is 17th
Missouri Track Fanatic & Running Junkie 