Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Kenny Bednarek win U.S. 100m titles in personal best times

NBC Sports

15 hours ago

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek continued their dominant seasons by winning the U.S. 100m titles in personal-best times.
Jefferson-Wooden ran 10.65 seconds, becoming the joint-fifth-fastest woman in history. The Olympic 100m bronze medalist's previous personal best was 10.73 from June 1.
Jefferson-Wooden was followed by training partner Kayla White (personal best 10.84) and Aleia Hobbs (10.92) in qualifying for September's World Championships in Tokyo.
Sha'Carri Richardson advanced out of her Thursday first-round heat, then scratched out of Friday's semifinals as she said she might do. Richardson has a bye onto the world team as the reigning world champion, provided she is in good standing with USATF.
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In the men's race, two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek ran 9.79, becoming the eighth U.S. man to ever break 9.80. It's his first U.S. title. His previous best time was 9.86 from June 1.
Bednarek is joined on the world team by runner-up Courtney Lindsey (9.82) and T'Mars McCallum (9.83).
Plus, Noah Lyles who has a bye as reigning world champ from 2023. Lyles advanced out of his first-round heat Thursday, then withdrew before the semifinals to prepare for Sunday's 200m.
Lyles has a bye in the 200m, too, but has said he plans to race that event through the final in a bid for a record-tying fifth U.S. title.
Also Friday, Anna Hall became the first woman to win a fourth consecutive U.S. heptathlon title.
Hall, who was second at the 2023 Worlds and fifth at the 2024 Olympics while dealing with injuries both years, totaled 6,899 points.
Two months ago, Hall recorded 7,032 points at a meet in Austria, moving from fifth to tied for second on the all-time list.
Only mentor Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the 1988 and 1992 Olympic gold medalist, has scored higher: the world record of 7,291 points and the top six scores in history overall.
Hall matched Swede Carolina Klüft, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, who also scored 7,032.
Come September, Hall can become the second American to win a world title in the heptathlon after Joyner-Kersee, who did so in 1987 and 1993.
Nick Zaccardi,
Three-time Olympian Vashti Cunningham won her 15th U.S. high jump title combining indoor and outdoor championships.
Kyle Garland won his first national title in the decathlon and became the third-best performer in U.S. history. His 8,869 points slots in between 1996 Olympic gold medalist Dan O'Brien (8,891) and Garrett Scantling (8,867).
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles, was the top qualifier into Saturday's flat 400m final. McLaughlin-Levrone chose to race the flat 400m and not the 400m hurdles at nationals.
Bryce Deadmon, a four-time Olympic relay medalist, led the qualifiers into Saturday's men's 400m final.
That final will not include 2024 Olympic gold medalist Quincy Hall and 2022 World champion Michael Norman, neither of whom entered nationals. Hall has dealt with injury this season, and Norman has missed significant time due to injuries in recent years.
Nor will it include Quincy Wilson, who last year with the 4x400m became the youngest male Olympic track gold medalist in history at age 16. Wilson, a rising high school senior, was 11th overall in the semifinals.
Olympic Trials winner Nia Akins and two-time world medalist Ajeé Wilson led the nine qualifiers into Sunday's women's 800m final. Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu-Nikolayev was 10th-fastest in the semis, missing the final by one spot.
In the men's 800m, the three fastest Americans in history -- Bryce Hoppel, Josh Hoey and Donavan Brazier -- all made Sunday's final.
Nationals continue Saturday with live coverage on NBC Sports and Peacock starting at 4 p.m. ET.