DES MOINES, Iowa — Christian Coleman and Teahna Daniels landed the men’s and women’s 100 meters titles on Day 2 at the 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships on Friday.
Coleman released his way to 9.99 seconds, running into a -1.0 m/s headwind, to win his first national outdoor title, as world champion Justin Gatlin, who has a bye to the World Championships, opted to skip the final.
The 23-year-old Coleman won a silver medal behind Gatlin at the London world championships in 2017. He holds the world’s fastest time this season with 9.81.
“If you look at the lineage of U.S. sprinters and see who won each year, it’s legendary guys,” Coleman said.
“To be amongst that group of guys, it’s an honor and a blessing. I’m excited to get that first one under my belt.”
Meanwhile, taking second on the night was veteran sprinter Michael Rodgers with a time of 10.12, the same time posted by Christopher Belcher for third place.
Rodgers, who has five national titles, is set to make his fifth world championships appearance.
Cravon Gillespie finished fourth in 10.19, while Ronnie Baker, who looked good in the first two rounds, faded to fifth in the final in 10.20.
There was also a first-time national champion on the women’s side with Teahna Daniels running 11.20 in a -1.7 m/s wind to take the victory.
English Gardner ran 11.25 for second place and Morolake Akinosun took third in 11.28.
There was a massive disappointment for NCAA champion and World Junior record holder, Sha’Carri Richardson, who never recovered from a poor start and crossed in eighth and last in 11.72.
Richardson entered the championships as the fastest American woman this season with a personal best of 10.75, but looked somewhat fatigued throughout the first two days of competition.
Dezerea Bryant, who led for most of the way before being caught in the closing meters, finished fourth in 11.29, while defending champion Aleia Hobbs was sixth in 11.33.
The men’s 400m hurdles semi-finals event saw favorite Rai Benjamin qualifying with the fastest time at 48.30 seconds and looked quite comfortable doing so as well.
In the open 400m semi-finals, Allyson Felix qualified for the finals with the fifth-best time after she finished third in her semis with 51.45
Felix was running only her second race in over one year and the first since having her daughter.
Defending champion Shakima Wimbley qualified with the fastest time after winning the second semis in 50.20.
Kendall Ellis and Wadeline Jonathas given the same time, 50.81, in the first semi-final heat.
Raevyn Rogers (2:00.90) and Ajee’ Wilson (2:01.02) were the top qualifiers for the final of the women’s 800m. Clayton Murphy and Donavan Brazier were the respective semi-final heat winners in the men’s two-lap event.
In field event action, Donald Scott upset a very strong lineup to win the men’s Triple Jump with a wind-aided effort of 17.74m in the first round.
World leader and world championships silver medalist Will Claye was second with an aided mark of 17.70m, with Omar Craddock jumping a legal 17.55m for third.
Defending world champion Christian Taylor, who already has a bye to Doha, scratch on his first jump and passed the remaining two.
The men’s Shot Put went to Ryan Crouser after he heaved a stadium record of 22.62m for victory. Joe Kovacs, the 2015 world champion and reigning world silver medalist, was second with a season’s best 22.31, while last year’s champion Darrell Hill took third with a mark of 22.11.
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