Throws and track events had dominated the first two American Track League fixtures of 2021, but it was jumpers who stole the show at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Fayetteville on Sunday (7).
Sandi Morris scaled a world-leading 4.88m to win the pole vault, Marquis Dendy jumped to the top of the world list by winning the long jump with 8.21m and Vashti Cunningham cleared an indoor PB of 2.00m to win the high jump.
Morris, the world indoor champion, opened her 2021 season last weekend at the same venue and won with 4.81m, a world-leading mark at that time. Having seen her world lead improved twice in the past 24 hours, first by Holly Bradshaw (4.85m) and then by Anzhelika Sidorova (4.87m), Morris returned to the Randal Tyson Track Center and regained her position at the top of the 2021 world list.
She cleared her opening heights of 4.48m and 4.58m with ease, then needed two attempts to get over 4.68m. A first-time clearance at 4.73m followed, then a second-time vault at 4.78m. Fellow US vaulter Olivia Gruver matched her at that height, though, also getting over it on her second try to move to sixth on the US indoor all-time list.
Gruver failed three times at 4.83m and exited the competition, while Morris got over it on her first try. She then topped 4.88m on her third attempt before ending her series with three unsuccessful tries at a would-be world record of 5.07m.
In the high jump, Cunningham had the competition won with her first-time clearance at 1.91m and then moved the bar up to 1.95m, which she got over on her second try. The 23-year-old progressed to 2.00m and was once again successful on her second leap, moving to equal fourth on the US indoor all-time list.
The men&rsquo;s long jump came alive in the second round when LaQuan Nairn of The Bahamas sailed out to a national indoor record of 8.16m, giving him a 27-centimetre lead over 2016 world indoor champion Marquis Dendy.
Nairn followed it with 8.04m in round three while Dendy struggled to respond and recorded fouls in rounds two, three, four and five. In the final round, though, Dendy nailed a jump and flew out to a world-leading 8.21m. Nairn jumped beyond eight metres again with the last jump of the competition, but his 8.09m wasn&rsquo;t enough to catch Dendy.
Michael Cherry, contesting his first indoor 400m since taking world indoor silver over the distance three years ago, won the two-lap event with ease. The world 4x400m champion sped through the first 200m in 21.35 and continued to pull away from the field to win in a lifetime best of 45.24.
Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago was the second-fastest overall on the day, winning the second heat in 46.08.
Jenna Prandini hadn&rsquo;t raced over 200m indoors since 2015, the year in which she set an indoor PB of 22.52 and won the NCAA indoor title. The 28-year-old showed no sign of rust, though, as she cruised to victory in 22.55 from 400m specialist Quanera Hayes (22.70).
Just 35 minutes before winning the first section of the 200m in an indoor PB of 23.01, Nigeria&rsquo;s Blessing Okagbare finished strongly in the 60m to win in 7.10, also a lifetime best. Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic 4x100m silver medallist Christania Williams was second in an equal PB of 7.14.
Fifteen-year-old Shawnti Jackson, daughter of 2005 world 400m hurdles champion Bershawn Jackson, fearlessly held her own against senior opposition in the 60m and 200m, setting big PBs at both distances. She finished seventh in the 60m in 7.24 and fourth overall in the 200m in 23.23. She now sits equal second and equal third respectively on the world U18 indoor all-time lists for 60m and 200m.
World indoor bronze medallist Ronnie Baker got his 2021 season underway and looked extremely comfortable when winning the men&rsquo;s 60m in 6.53. 2016 world indoor champion Trayvon Bromell, the winner here two weeks ago in a world-leading 6.48, was second this time in 6.58.
Elsewhere in the sprints, Olympic champion Omar McLeod won the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles in 7.53, while Britain&rsquo;s Tiffany Porter took the women&rsquo;s event in 7.95. Shamier Little produced a decisive run in the women&rsquo;s 400m, winning in 51.33 to break her five-year-old PB.
Three weeks after setting an Algerian indoor 800m record of 1:45.98, 1500m specialist Takieddine Hedeilli lined up for his first ever mile race. The 24-year-old followed the pacemaker for the first five laps and then took up pole position with Costa Rica&rsquo;s Juan Diego Castro and New Zealand&rsquo;s Nick Willis close behind.
Hedeilli held the lead at the bell as Willis started his kick for home. Willis moved past Castro but couldn&rsquo;t quite catch Hedeilli. A few strides back, however, high school student Hobbs Kessler was making up ground. Hedeilli won in a PB of 3:56.79, finishing just 0.03 ahead of 37-year-old Willis, who is into his 19th year of sub-four-minute miles.
Seventeen-year-old Kessler, meanwhile, finished third in 3:57.66 to move to second on the world U20 indoor all-time list.
Jackson and Kessler weren&rsquo;t the only gutsy teenagers in action on Sunday. 15-year-old Sophia Gorriaran led the 800m almost the entire way and was only caught by Britain&rsquo;s Adelle Tracey in the closing stages. Tracey won in 2:02.11 while Gorriaran was rewarded with a world U18 indoor best of 2:02.44.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Throws and track events had dominated the first two American Track League fixtures of 2021, but it was jumpers who stole the show at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Fayetteville on Sunday (7).

Morris and Dendy leap to world leads in Fayetteville

Mariya Lasitskene notched a superb three-peat in the high jump to highlight field event action on the fourth day of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
Jumping under her maiden name Kuchina, she topped 2.01m to take the title in Beijing four years ago, and 2.03m in London in 2017. She went even higher this year, piecing together a perfect scorecard through the winning height of 2.04m to become the first three-time world champion in the event.
&ldquo;It was like in a fairy tale to get a third world title,&rdquo; said the 26-year-old authorised neutral athlete, who arrived in Doha as one of the biggest favourites of the championships. But she nonetheless had unexpected company through to the finish.
Two years ago, she was pushed by Ukraine&rsquo;s Yuliya Levchencko, who came of age in London topping a lifetime best of 2.01m while still a teenager to take silver. This time, it was her teammate Yaroslava Mahuchikh, another teenager, who turned 18 just 11 days ago but who performed like a seasoned veteran.
Fighting to find her rhythm, Mahuchikh needed second tries at 1.89m and 1.96m before moving on to the higher heights where she actually appeared more at ease. She sailed over 1.98m with her first attempt, and 2.00m on her third, just the second time she cleared that still formidable barrier.
Meanwhile, US champion Vashti Cunningham and Levchenko were also jumping well, the American a perfect six-for-six through 2.00m and the Ukrainian flawless through 1.98m before topping 2.00m on the third time of asking. That marked just the second time that four woman have topped 2.00m at a World Championships. The other was in Osaka 12 years ago.
Mahuchikh&rsquo;s streak continued with a first attempt success at 2.02m, a shock clearance that added one centimetre to the world U20 record* shared by Olga Turchak of the former Soviet Union and Heike Balck of the former East Germany, marks set in 1986 and 1989, respectively.
Cunningham and Levchenko bowed out at the height, bronze going to the American on countback. But Mahuchikh wasn&rsquo;t finished.
After Lasitskene sailed clear on her first try at 2.04m, Mahuchikh followed with a decent first attempt, close enough to suggest the teenager had more in reserve. Her second was even closer. On the third she brushed the bar on the way down, but it stayed on. Mahuchikh was ecstatic.
&ldquo;I knew I was ready to set my new PB in the final and I put some kind of the pressure on myself,&rdquo; Mahuchikh said. &ldquo;I'm feeling really happy and incredibly tired in the same time.&rdquo;
The last time two jumpers topped 2.04m at a World Championships was at the second edition in Rome 22 years ago. That battle between Stefka Kostadinova and Tamara Bykova resulted in a world record, the former's 2.09m, which still stands today.
That didn&rsquo;t come to pass this time. Knowing that 2.06m would be out of reach, Mahuchikh called it a night, content with surprise silver. Lasitskene then bowed out after three tries at 2.08m.
&ldquo;Today, we had an incredible competition,&rdquo; the winner said. &ldquo;I did not have any other choice than to jump higher and higher. Now, I feel like I left all my power and energy in the field. If Yaroslava decided to jump 2.06m, I also was ready to extend our fight.&rdquo;
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Mariya Lasitskene notched a superb three-peat in the high jump to highlight field event action on the fourth day of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

Report: women's high jump - IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019

Will Claye climbed to the ninth spot on the world all-time triple jump list to highlight the second day of the US Championships in Sacramento on Friday (23).
Claye, the two-time Olympic silver medallist, produced a superb series. Opening with 17.47m, the 26-year-old improved to 17.68m and 17.79m in the next two rounds, the latter just three centimetres shy of his personal best set at the Eugene leg of the IAAF Diamond League last month. He reached 17.76m in the fourth round before sailing 17.91m in the fifth to break into the world's all-time top 10, and fourth among US athletes.
Behind him, runner-up Chris Benard and Donald Scott, who was third, also set lifetime bests, reaching 17.48m and 17.25m respectively, to claim their spots on the London-bound national team.
Two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor, the current world leader with 18.11m, intentionally fouled his only attempt. Taylor has a wild card for the IAAF World Championships London 2017, but USATF rules require him to participate at the US Championships to be chosen to the US team.
In the 100m, Justin Gatlin showed he's not ready to let Christian Coleman succeed him as the United States&rsquo; premier sprinter.
The 35-year-old Gatlin won in 9.95, handing Coleman his first loss at that distance this year. Coleman, 21, was second in 9.98.
Both Gatlin and Coleman were college sprinters at Tennessee. It seemed inevitable Coleman would overtake his elder this year after setting a collegiate record of 9.82, also a world lead, on 7 June. But Coleman said he was &ldquo;reaching for the line&rdquo; and said he must maintain composure.
Gatlin started evenly &ndash; his reaction time was 0.168 to Coleman&rsquo;s 0.161 &ndash; and powered to victory in the closing stages against a slight headwind (-0.7m/s). Afterwards, Gatlin said he wanted to race Usain Bolt one more time.
Christoper Belcher, third at the NCAA Championships on 9 June, equalled that finish here, clocking 10.06.
<h3>Impressive wins for Bowie, Cunningham and Chelimo</h3>
Elsewhere, Tori Bowie won the women&rsquo;s 100m, Vashti Cunningham set a North American U20 record of 1.99m in the women&rsquo;s high jump, Paul Chelimo set a meeting record of 13:08.62 in the 5000m, and Clayton Murphy remained on track for a historic 800m/1500m double.
Bowie, who went home with three Olympic medals last year, dominated the women's 100m in 10.94, the second fastest of the season for the Olympic 100m silver medallist.
&ldquo;The goal today was to finish top three, so finishing first is great," Bowie said. "I&rsquo;m extremely excited and I still feel like I have a ton to work on before Worlds because I really hope to do well.&rdquo;
Deajah Stevens edged Ariana Washington by 0.02 to finish second, clocking 11.08.
In the high jump, 19-year-old Cunningham had a clean sheet through 1.94m, then cleared 1.99m on her second attempt. It was the highest jump by an U20 jumper since 1989 and equalled her PB from the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016.
Brigetta Barrett, the 2012 Olympic silver medallist who retired at age 25 last year and unretired 14 months later, was fourth at 1.88m. 33-year-old Chaunte Lowe, the 2012 world indoor champion, tied for seventh at 1.80m. She had jumped 1.94m on 10 June.
Chelimo, silver medallist behind Mo Farah in the 5000m in Rio, knocked more than four seconds from the previous meeting record of 13:12.76 set by Tim Broe in 2005. It was a solitary run by Chelimo, whose opening lap was 61 seconds.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to improve every year. I&rsquo;m not looking at anybody,&rdquo; said Chelimo, 26. &ldquo;Tonight I was trying to test myself to the limit.&rdquo;
The 22-year-old Murphy meanwhile is attempting to be the first to win an 800m/1500m double since Glenn Cunningham in 1933. (Rick Wolhluter won both at the 1976 Olympic Trials, but those were not considered the nationals.) The Olympic 800m bronze medallist was second in his semifinal in 1:45.70 to reach Sunday&rsquo;s final. He meets Olympic gold medallist Matthew Centrowitz in Saturday&rsquo;s 1500m final.
<h3>Hardee collects fourth national title</h3>
In the absence of the retired Ashton Eaton, the decathlon was won by two-time world champion Trey Hardee. It was Hardee&rsquo;s fourth US title, eight years after his first &ndash; a record for most years between wins. Hardee, 33, finished with 8225 after a scare in the pole vault, in which he needed a third-attempt clearance at his opening height of 4.90m.
&ldquo;Here is the thing: I never went anywhere, so I am not 'back',&rdquo; Hardee said. &ldquo;I am just old. A lot has happened, weird injuries. If they happen earlier in my career, maybe they are derailers and I never get off the ground.&rdquo;
<h3>Fred Kerley leads 400m qualifiers with 44.11, Harrison clocks 12.54 world lead</h3>
Semifinals of the men&rsquo;s 400m were such that Mylik Kerley ran 44.85 &ndash; and did not advance because he was fifth. Had he been in the other semifinal, he would have won and advanced to the final. His brother, world leader Fred Kerley, won the first semifinal in 44.11 over Gil Roberts&rsquo; PB of 44.33. World U20 200m champion Michael Norman was third in a PB of 44.60.
In her first race since breaking a bone in her hand on 5 May in Doha, world record-holder Kendra Harrison won her heat of the 100m hurdles in 12.54, fastest in the world this year.
In a Thursday final, Galen Rupp not only had his streak of eight consecutive titles in the 10,000m end, he finished fifth and did not make the World Championships team. Rupp had suggested this would be his final race on the track but backed away from that in comments to The Oregonian.
Samuel Chelanga threw in a series of surges to shake up the field after a 5:10 opening mile, but he could not hold on and finished seventh in a dash to the line. Hassan Mead closed in 55.22 to win in 29:01.44. Shadrack Kipchirchir and Leonard Korir claimed the two other team spots in 29:01.68 and 29:02.64 respectively. Rupp&rsquo;s time was 29:04.61.
World bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell and 2007 world champion Tyson Gay went out in the first round of the 100m. Bromell was third in his heat in 10.22 in his first race after an achilles injury. Gay, 34, was third in another heat in 10.17. He was racing eight months after the death of his 15-year-old daughter, Trinity.
Gabe Grunewald, a cancer survivor who is fighting cancer yet again, ran her 1500m heat and was slowest of 28 entries in 4:31.18. Runners surrounded her afterwards in a circle of prayer and support.
In the women&rsquo;s 800m, Alysia Montano, due to deliver her second child in November, ran while pregnant at the US Championships for a second time. She was slowest of 30 in the first round in 2:21.40. She ran while eight months pregnant in 2014. Montano, 31, a six-time outdoor national champion, was fifth at the 2012 Olympics but missed out on Rio last year after being tripped in the closing 200 meters at the US Trials.
Casimir Loxsom and Nick Symmonds were first-round casualties of the 800m. Loxsom, who set a world indoor 600m best on 30 January, was fifth in his heat in 1:48.81. World silver medallist Symmonds was 32nd of 33 finishers in 1:51.52. The 33-year-old has said this would be his final elite track competition.
Stephanie Brown-Trafton, the 2008 Olympic discus champion, also announced her retirement. She was 10th with a distance of 52.23m.
Roy Jordan for the IAAF

Will Claye climbed to the ninth spot on the world all-time triple jump list to highlight the second day of the US Championships in Sacramento on Friday (23).

Claye sails 17.91m to win at US Championships in Sacremento

Olympic champion Ruth Beitia is among four gold medallists on the slate for the women's high jump at the 43rd Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 27 May, the third&nbsp;stop of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League series.
Leading the field are jumpers that can be considered the discipline's oldest, youngest and perhaps the most patient.
Beitia won Olympic gold in Rio at age 37 to become by far the oldest medallist in the event. Competing in her fourth Olympics, it was the first major gold for the Spaniard, who won her second straight Diamond Race title and third European title Last year. Beitia will turn 38 on 1 April and is still on top of her game, earning silver at the recent European Indoor Championships and winning the Spanish indoor title for the 16th time.
Vashti Cunningham is the 19-year-old world indoor champion who opened her 2017 season even higher than last year by successfully defending her US indoor title in February. Still eligible for U20 records this year, Cunningham already owns the best at the US level with her 1.99m leap with which she won the world indoor title in Portland at 18.
Chaunte Lowe's career has experienced multiple maternity breaks since she earned a World Championships silver in 2005. The US record-holder at 2.05m won her 13th national title last year to make her fourth Olympic team only to suffer an historic feat &ndash; jumping as high as the Olympic gold medallist but, because of misses, earning no medal at all.
Lowe took bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games and captured the world indoor title in 2012, the same year she won the Diamond Race.
Hayward Field has been especially good to Lowe &ndash; she won last year&rsquo;s loaded Prefontaine Classic&nbsp;&ndash; while last year&rsquo;s US title was her fifth (third Olympic Trials) victory on the apron where she has now won six out of 10 times.
The fourth major gold medallist in the field is Poland&rsquo;s Kamila Licwinko, who won the 2014 world indoor title and bronze at the event two years later. This season the 31-year-old is aiming for her first major outdoor medal after equaling her outdoor national record of 1.99m at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 where she finished fourth.
The field also includes three other high-flying Europeans.
Mirela Demireva equalled her 1.97m PB to earn Olympic silver in Rio, the first Olympic medal for Bulgaria since 2000. She also claimed silver at last summer&rsquo;s European Championships.
Airine Palsyte knows at least some of Chaunte Lowe&rsquo;s experience. She jumped just as high as the gold medallist at last year&rsquo;s World Indoor Championships but has no major medal to show for it. The Lithuanian took silver in last summer&rsquo;s European Championships and followed it up with gold this month at the European Indoors. Undefeated in 2017 with a 2.01m PB, Palsyte has held her country&rsquo;s national record since she was 19, when she first jumped 1.96m to claim silver at the 2011 World University Games.
Italy's Alessia Trost has won gold medals at both the IAAF World Youth Championships (2009) and World Junior Championships (2012). She was fifth in Rio, the best finish for her country since Sara Simeoni won gold in 1980. Trost&rsquo;s best of 2.00m is just shy of Simeoni&rsquo;s Italian record of 2.01m, a world record set twice in 1978.
Rounding out the field is Levern Spencer from St Lucia. With a best of 1.98m, she has carried her country&rsquo;s flag at the past three Olympics and in 2016 reached her best yet on the world stage, taking sixth in Rio and fifth at the World Indoor Championships.
Organisers for the IAAF
2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar 5 May &ndash; Doha, QAT 13 May &ndash; Shanghai, CHN 27 May &ndash; Eugene, USA 8 Jun &ndash; Rome, ITA 15 Jun &ndash; Oslo, NOR 18 Jun &ndash; Stockholm, SWE 1 Jul &ndash; Paris, FRA 6 Jul &ndash; Lausanne, SUI 9 Jul &ndash; London, GBR 16 Jul &ndash; Rabat, MAR 21 Jul &ndash; Monaco, MON 20 Aug &ndash; Birmingham, GBR 24 Aug &ndash; Zurich, SUI 1 Sep &ndash; Brussels, BEL

Olympic champion Ruth Beitia is among four gold medallists on the slate for the women's high jump at the 43rd Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 27 May, the third stop of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League series.

Beitia leads Eugene high jump field – IAAF Diamond League

The 30-something generation would appear well poised to mount a strong challenge for the Olympic gold in an event which serves up a number of compelling story lines.
The form horse of 2016 is the indefatigable Ruth Beitia, who at the age of 37 is seeking to be the oldest ever winner of a jumps medal &ndash; of either gender &ndash; at an Olympic Games.
The Spanish veteran has been in supreme form this season, banking the European title for a third time as well as securing IAAF Diamond League wins in Oslo, Stockholm and London.
During a distinguished 21-year international career, Beitia has pocketed a slew of medals on the world and European stage, but has yet to win an Olympic medal &ndash; she finished fourth at the 2012 London Olympics Games and briefly retired in the wake of that disappointment &ndash; and she is desperate to finally mount the podium in Rio.
Among her chief rivals is the 32-year-old mother-of-three Chaunte Lowe, who propelled herself to the top of the world lists with an impressive 2.01m clearance to take the US title in July.
Lowe, the 2012 world indoor champion, has competed sparingly this season but on current form is more than capable of improving upon her two sixth-place finishes at the past two Olympics in Beijing and London.
Another 30-something looking to create a slice of history is Blanka Vlasic, who plans to defy a longstanding achilles tendon injury to strike gold.
The one title missing from the flamboyant Croatian&rsquo;s CV is an Olympic crown and should she achieve her ambitions it would be nothing short of a minor miracle as her achilles issues have restricted her to just one competition in 2016 &ndash; and that was back in January.
The 32-year-old 2008 Olympic silver medallist should never be discounted, though, as she bagged a World Championships silver medal in Beijing last year having made just two outdoor appearances prior to the competition in the Bird&rsquo;s Nest Stadium.
<h3>Cunningham mature beyond her years</h3>
At the other end of the athletics age spectrum, half the age of Beitia, is the 18-year-old world indoor champion Vashti Cunningham.
The beanpole US jumper, the daughter of NFL great Randall Cunningham but looking to make a name for herself in her own right, set a world U20 indoor record of 1.99m this winter and has cleared 1.97m outdoors.
Other names who could feature at the sharp end of the competition include Poland&rsquo;s 2014 world indoor champion Kamila Licwinko, who has cleared 1.99m outdoors this year. She is a consistent performer and claimed bronze at the World Indoor Championships Portland 2016 earlier this year.
Germany&rsquo;s Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch advanced to number two on the 2016 world list with a stunning PB of 2.00m last month to mark her down as a potential medal candidate, especially after she finished sixth at last year&rsquo;s World Championships.
Lithuania&rsquo;s European joint silver medallist Airine Palsyte, who was fourth in Portland, is another potential challenger while another interesting entrant is the gifted combined-eventer Akela Jones of Barbados, who boasts an outstanding 1.98m clearance from the indoor season.
The other European silver medallist, Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria, is another to be respected along with Italy&rsquo;s Desiree Rossit and Ukraine&rsquo;s Oksana Okuneva, and all three have cleared 1.97m this season.
There will also a lot of interest in the current world U20 and U18 champion Michaela Hruba, although the Czech jumper&rsquo;s chance of a medal is more likely to come in Tokyo in four years&rsquo; time.
Steve Landells for the IAAF

The 30-something generation would appear well poised to mount a strong challenge for the Olympic gold in an event which serves up a number of compelling story lines.

Preview: women's high jump – Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Head-to-head encounters feature strongly on the fourth stop of the 2016 IAAF Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, giving the famed Prefontaine Classic meeting the look of an Olympic Games preview on Friday and Saturday (27-28).
At the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, Dafne Schippers and Elaine Thompson produced the fourth and seventh fastest 200m performances of all-time when they ran for gold and silver in the Chinese capital.
They will meet again on a fast track at Hayward Field and joining them in the 200m will be Tori Bowie, third at last year&rsquo;s world championships 100m and the fastest woman in the world so far this year.
With the depth of US 100m hurdlers, it&rsquo;s not surprising to see a great field on the line in Eugene.
There will be five women with personal bests quicker than 12.40 on the start line in Brianna Rollins, Sharika Nelvis, Jasmine Stowers, Kendra Harrison and Dawn Harper Nelson.
Rollins has the quickest mark, 12.26 from 2013, but it is fellow American Harrison who has owned the early part of 2016 and has already clocked times of 12.36 and 12.42 this season, by far the best of the year.
Harper Nelson, the 2008 Olympic champion and 2015 Diamond Race will make her season debut in this event and two-time world Indoor 60m hurdles champion Nia Ali will try and translate her winter success into the outdoor season. &nbsp;
An injury will keep Allyson Felix out of the women&rsquo;s 400m but, even without her, the field is spectacular.
Seven of the eight women have a personal best under 50 seconds and two of the women on the start list, Quanera Hayes and Shaunae Miller, have broken that mark already in 2016.
With so much depth, expect it to probably get even quicker on Saturday while the reigning Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross, who has announced that she will retire after the 2016 season, will be racing in her last Prefontaine Classic.
<h3>James and Merritt meet again</h3>
Kirani James and Lashawn Merritt will duel once again in the men&rsquo;s 400m.
James cracked 44 seconds at last year&rsquo;s Prefontaine Classic, beating Merritt in one of the meeting&rsquo;s races.
At the Drake Relays last month, James also had the upper hand, maintaining his lead over the final 100 metres to win 44.08 to 44.22. This rivalry has been so close that the deciding factor could be which runner gets the inside lane.
Machel Cedenio, of Trinidad and Tobago, has the fastest 2016 best of the rest of the field and placed second to Merritt at the opening Diamond League meeting of the summer in Doha.
Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich hopes to build on his victory in Shanghai in the men&rsquo;s 800m. The Kenyan will be facing a tough field that includes Mohammed Aman, Amel Tuka, and 2016 world indoor champion, Boris Berian while 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist Nijel Amos will try to bounce back after his modest sixth place finish in Rabat. &nbsp;
In the distance races,&nbsp;18-year-old Yomif Kejelcha returns to defend his title in the 5000m.
The prodigious Ethiopian used last year&rsquo;s victory as a launching pad to senior global success and since last year&rsquo;s win, Kejelcha lowered his personal best to 12:53.98 and kicked to a world indoor championship 3000m gold medal.
On Saturday, his challengers include his compatriot and Shanghai winner Muktar Edris and Kenya&rsquo;s two-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor.
<h3>Kipyegon the 1500m favourite</h3>
Faith Kipyegon&rsquo;s 3:56.82 1500m win in Shanghai was arguably the performance of the meeting two weeks ago and she enters this race as the favourite ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dawit Seyaum.
The race within the race could give some insight on the American pecking order heading into the US Olympic Trials: 2015 Prefontaine Classic winner Jenny Simpson, Shannon Rowbury, Brenda Martinez and Treniere Moser are all entered.
In the meeting&rsquo;s final event, Asbel Kiprop seeks to regain his Bowerman Mile title.
Last year, Djibouti's Ayanleh Souleiman got the best of the Kenyan but this year Kiprop has so far looked a cut above the rest of the world. His 3:32.15 win from Doha is the fastest time in the world at this early stage of the season.
If Kiprop stumbles, Souleiman, fellow Kenyan Silas Kiplagat and Algeria&rsquo;s 2012 Olympic champion Taoufik Mahkloufi may be the men best placed to take advantage.
A strong group of hurdlers will aim to halt Omar McLeod&rsquo;s momentum in the men&rsquo;s 110 hurdles.
McLeod has produced the three fastest times of the year and, on Saturday, he will face many of the same men he beat in those races.
McLeod&rsquo;s fellow Jamaican Hansle Parchment finished second behind his compatriot in Doha and Shanghai.
USA will be well represented with former world champion David Oliver, world record holder Aries Merritt and Jeff Porter while France&rsquo;s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, last year&rsquo;s winner at this meeting, will make his outdoor debut.
<h3>A good Bett in the 400m hurdles?</h3>
Kenya&rsquo;s surprise 2015 world champion Nicholas Bett will square off against 2016 world leader Michael Tinsley in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles.
Renaud Lavillenie exhilarated the crowd along the back stretch crowd last year with his 6.05m clearance in the pole vault but the 2012 Olympic champion and world record holder, could have some competition this year.
USA&rsquo;s Sam Kendricks beat Lavillenie two weeks ago in Shanghai, the first ever Diamond League victory for an American compared to the record 27 owned by the Frenchman.
Reigning Olympic and world champion Christian Taylor heads up a men&rsquo;s triple jump field that also features Teddy Tamgho, Marquis Dendy and Will Claye while 18-year-old Vashti Cunningham will look to continue her incredible 2016 in the women&rsquo;s high jump. In her last trip to Oregon, the Ls Vegas-based Cunningham won the world indoor title in Portland.
Friday night features three Diamond Race field event disciplines.
Tianna Bartoletta, Brittney Reese, Ivana Spanovic head the field in the women&rsquo;s long jump, 2015 world championships gold medallist Joe Kovacs leads the men&rsquo;s shot put, while Sandra Perkovic is the top entrant in the women&rsquo;s discus.
On the track, Mo Farah will run his first outdoor track race since his double gold exhibition in Beijing when he runs in the 10,000m.
Hayward Field has played host to several victories for Farah, including the 10,000m in 2011 when he set his personal best of 26:46.57.
Genzebe Dibaba&rsquo;s withdrawal in the women&rsquo;s 5000m seems to leave that race wide open.
Viola Kibiwot, second in Rabat last week with a time of 14:29.50, looks like the best of the rest while Vivian Cheruiyot, Mercy Cherono and Gelete Burka all ran quick 3000m times in Doha to kick off the Diamond League season.
Kevin Sully for the IAAF

Head-to-head encounters feature strongly on the fourth stop of the 2016 IAAF Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, giving the famed Prefontaine Classic meeting the look of an Olympic Games preview on Friday and Saturday (27-28).

Head-to-head contests give Eugene the flavour of a pre-Olympic appetisery – IAAF Diamond League

The following world record has been ratified...
<h3>World U20 indoor record</h3>
Women's high jump: 1.99m Vashti Cunningham (USA) Portland 12 March 2016 Previous: 1.97m Maria Kuchina (RUS) 26 January 2011

The following world record has been ratified

World record ratified

World-leading performances by Johnathan Cabral in the 110m hurdles and Jenna Prandini in the 100m were among the chief highlights at the 58th Mt SAC Relays on Saturday (16).
Canadian Cabral, a semi-finalist at last year's World Championships, won his specialty in 13.35 to knock 0.02 from his career best. Mikel Thomas of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 13.40.
Prandini, last year's NCAA champion in the 100m and long jump, clocked 10.95 in her impressive season's debut, finishing just ahead of Hannah Cunliffe who clocked 10.99 to take more than half a second off her PB. It was Prandini's second career sub-11 performance, just shy of her 10.92 PB from last year.
Ameer Webb of the US was also off to a fast start. The 25-year-old former NCAA 200m champion produced a solid victory in the 100m, handily defeating world 100m bronze medallist Andre De Grasse clocking a wind-assisted 9.90 (2.4m/s) to the Canadian's 10.04.
He then came back to dominate the 200m with a wind-legal 19.91 (1.0m/s), the first sub-20 in his career. BeeJay Lee of the US was a distant second in 20.23.
Vashti Cunningham won her professional debut, topping 1.93m in her first competition since winning the world indoor title in Portland last month. The 18-year-old Cunningham reportedly had one close attempt at 1.98m.
&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t jumped outdoors for a while, so I&rsquo;m happy to be back,&rdquo; Cunningham told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. &ldquo;My goal was 6-6 (1.98m). I skipped 6-5 (1.95m) because I was feeling really good, but I needed more to reach 6-6 today. I just couldn&rsquo;t get it. I just wasn&rsquo;t running fast enough.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Rodney Brown produced the best performance on the infield, winning the discus with a 66.00m heave. His effort added nearly a metre to the 22-year-old's personal best of 65.04m set last year.
Combined events star Ashton Eaton had a busy and productive Sunday afternoon, first winning the long jump with a wind-assisted 8.09m (2.2m/s) leap ahead of Japan's Shontaro Shiroyama, who reached 7.95m. He took to the track about an hour later and clocked 13.48 in the 110m hurdles, finishing fourth behind Cabral's world lead.
Elsewhere, Briton Cindy Ofili, European sprint hurdles champion Tiffany Porter's younger sister, won the 100m hurdles in 12.66 (2.0m/s), well ahead of Janay DeLoach, who clocked 12.90.
Duane Solomon beat a solid field in the 800m, clocking 1:45.47.
And in the men's triple jump, Alberto Alvarez took the victory with a Mexican record of 16.99m.
The highlight on Friday's busy high school, junior, collegiate and open programme was Saudi Arabian Abdullah Abkar Mohammed's 10.04 victory in the 100m, a national record and Asian junior record. The 19-year-old then doubled back to win an open section of the 200m in 20.29, albeit with an assisting wind of 2.7m/s.
Renovation and an over-haul of the meeting's long-time home, Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California, moved the three-day meeting to nearby Cerritos College in Norwalk, which will also host the competition in 2017.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

World-leading performances by Johnathan Cabral in the 110m hurdles and Jenna Prandini in the 100m were among the chief highlights at the 58th Mt SAC Relays on Saturday (16).

World leads for Cabral and Prandini at Mt SAC Relays

World indoor high jump champion Vashti Cunningham&rsquo;s outdoor professional debut at the Prefontaine Classic is set to be one of the most eagerly awaited performances at the IAAF Diamond League meeting on 28 May.
The 18-year-old will face the four women who matched her height of 1.96m at the recent IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016, where Cunningham took gold having had no misses up to and including that height.
Having equalled the world U18 best of 1.96m last year, Cunningham set a world indoor U20 record of 1.99m to win the US indoor title last month. Only four other under-20 athletes have ever gone higher outdoors, the last of which was in 1989.
Ruth Beitia may be twice Cunningham&rsquo;s age, but she is the closest at matching her this year. The 37-year-old Spaniard earned her second world indoor silver medal last month. Beitia, the 2015 Diamond Race winner, will be seeking a third consecutive European title this summer in preparation for the Rio Olympics.
Poland&rsquo;s Kamila Licwinko won the 2014 world indoor title and took bronze in Portland last month. She holds national records indoors and out with marks of 2.02m and 1.99m respectively.
Lithuania&rsquo;s Airine Palsyte also cleared 1.96m at the recent World Indoor Championships but had to settle for fourth place on countback. The 23-year-old won the World University Games title last year and has a best of 1.98m.
Alessia Trost of Italy has won gold medals at the 2009 World Youth Championships and 2012 World Junior Championships. Last year she won her second European under-23 title and was the silver medallist at the European Indoor Championships. Her lifetime best of 2.00m was set indoors in 2013 when she was 19 years old.
St Lucia&rsquo;s Levern Spencer is the Pan-American Games champion and has a best of 1.98m. She has twice taken bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games and has reached the final of the past four global championships.
Germany&rsquo;s Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch set a lifetime best of 1.99m when finishing sixth at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015. The 25-year-old was the winner of her event in this year&rsquo;s IAAF World Indoor Tour.
Isobel Pooley is the Commonwealth silver medallist and holds the outdoor British record at 1.97m.
Organisers for the IAAF
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar 6 May &ndash; Doha, QAT 14 May &ndash; Shanghai, CHN 22 May &ndash; Rabat, MAR 28 May &ndash; Eugene, USA 2 Jun &ndash; Rome, ITA 5 Jun &ndash; Birmingham, GBR 9 Jun &ndash; Oslo, NOR 16 Jun &ndash; Stockholm, SWE 15 Jul &ndash; Monaco, MON 22-23 Jul &ndash; London, GBR 25 Aug &ndash; Lausanne, SUI 27 Aug &ndash; Paris, FRA 1 Sep &ndash; Zurich, SUI 9 Sep &ndash; Brussels, BEL

World indoor high jump champion Vashti Cunningham’s outdoor professional debut at the Prefontaine Classic is set to be one of the most eagerly awaited performances at the IAAF Diamond League meeting on 28 May.

Cunningham set for professional debut in Eugene – IAAF Diamond League

They saved the best for last.
On the final day of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016, a sellout crowd once again filled the stands at the Oregon Convention Center, and witnessed&nbsp;a host of individual displays to remember, along with thrilling contests they&rsquo;ll simply never forget.
<h3>Centrowitz times it right</h3>
He may have only led for 20 metres of the entire 1500m final, but for hometown hero Matt Centrowitz, that was all he needed, the 26-year-old timing his run to perfection to take gold in 3:44.22.
Less than a second separated the first seven athletes, a shining example of the fine &ndash; sometimes cruel &ndash; margins that separate success and failure at this level.
After a slow early pace &ndash; set by reigning champion Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti, who took the field through 800m in 2:07.88 &ndash; the race was always likely to boil down to an elongated sprint. Souleiman cranked up the pace at the front from four laps out, but only when Nick Willis of New Zealand swept to the front with 400 metres to run did everyone truly kick it into gear.
Centrowitz reacted immediately, shuffling past Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dawit Wolde into second, taking pole position behind Willis for the final sprint to the line. Willis turned into the home straight with a one-metre advantage, but try as he might, he couldn&rsquo;t hold off the smooth-striding Centrowitz, and the American took his first global title.
Having been a distant seventh at the bell, Czech Republic&rsquo;s Jakub Holusa unleashed a kick for the ages to snatch second place right on the line from Willis.
&ldquo;I wanted it very bad,&rdquo; said Centrowitz. &ldquo;I found the push from the crowd at the end. They got me through that last 50.&rdquo;
<h3>McLeod magnificent</h3>
While Centrowitz may have run the perfect race, 60m hurdles champion Omar McLeod said he wasn&rsquo;t entirely satisfied with his performance, which made his near-flawless victory in a national record of 7.41 all the more impressive.
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Omar McLeod wins the 60m hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016</div>
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t a perfect race,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I hit a couple of hurdles, but I just wanted to stay tunnel-vision, feed off the energy, and maintain my composure and fight through the finish.&rdquo;
That he did, and McLeod was all alone as he crossed the line ahead of Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (7.46) and Dimitri Bascou (7.48). &ldquo;This is the second time I won a silver medal and I&rsquo;m happy,&rdquo; said Martinot-Lagarde. &ldquo;I still want the gold. That is what I work for, but today Omar was just better than me.&rdquo;
<h3>Kejelcha too classy, Hill raises roof</h3>
The men&rsquo;s 3000m final started out as a slow, cagey affair, but slowly cranked up to a pace that was nothing short of vicious by the time they entered the final kilometre. Kenya&rsquo;s Isiah Koech led through the opening 1000m in a pedestrian 2:52.18, but the first significant move of the race happened with six laps to go, as reigning champion Caleb Ndiku swept to the front along with Djibouti&rsquo;s Youssouf Hiss Bachir.
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Yomif Kejelcha wins the 3000m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016</div>
&nbsp;
Ndiku seemed intent to lead all the way to the finish, but he had no answers when Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yomif Kejelcha stormed to the front with two laps to run. Behind him, Ndiku and his teammate Augustine Choge tried to come again along with Morocco&rsquo;s Abdalaati Iguider and Ryan Hill of the US, but Kejelcha had too much speed over the final 100 metres and held on to take gold in 7:57.21. The last kilometre: a blistering 2:22.81.
Through the final 200 metres, the noise inside the arena reached a crescendo as Hill began his charge, and it was almost deafening as he moved from fourth to second in the final straight, edging Choge for silver on the line, 7:57.39 to 7:57.43.
<h3>Victory for Vashti, delight for Dendy</h3>
Home favourites Vashti Cunningham and Marquis Dendy could hardly have endured closer contests in their respective finals, but both American jumpers showed admirable composure to take their first world indoor titles.
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Vashti Cunningham at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016</div>
&nbsp;
Since exploding on the scene when jumping 1.99m to win the US title last weekend, Cunningham has been touted as a budding star of the sport, but on Sunday she proved that the present &ndash; and not just the future &ndash; belongs to her as well. The 18-year-old had a perfect series between 1.84m and 1.96m, her first-time clearance at the latter height proving crucial in the end. Spain&rsquo;s Ruth Beitia needed two attempts to go clear, as did Poland&rsquo;s Kamila Licwinko, while Lithuania&rsquo;s Airine Palsyte joined them at 1.99m after going clear on her third attempt.
All four recorded three failures at 1.99m, which gave gold, and world champion status, to Cunningham, who was self-critical even in victory. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a little disappointed in myself for not clearing 1.99m,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m thankful for the title.&rdquo;
At twice her age, Beitia was equally impressive in taking silver. &ldquo;I thought maybe I could get two metres,&rdquo; she said. &nbsp;&ldquo;This is my ninth world championship and the second silver medal and I&rsquo;m 36 years old, so I&rsquo;m very, very happy.&rdquo;
Marquis Dendy edged an equally close men&rsquo;s long jump final which saw the leading six men separated by just 12cm. Dendy&rsquo;s second effort of 8.26m proved the crucial jump, with Australia&rsquo;s Fabrice Lapierre &ndash; who set an Oceanian indoor record of 8.25m &ndash; denied by the shortest of margins.
Dendy, like Cunningham, was quick to point out his own underperformance, despite taking gold. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t jump how I wanted,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I have some things to fix in my approach heading into outdoors.&rdquo;
China&rsquo;s Changzhou Huang usurped Jeff Henderson of the US in the final round to take bronze, his best mark of 8.21m edging the American by just 2cm.
<h3>Dibaba, Niysonsaba a class apart</h3>
The female middle distance races were won in commanding fashion with strikingly similar mid-race surges.
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Genezebe Dibaba wins the 3000m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016</div>
&nbsp;
In the women&rsquo;s 3000m, Dibaba dropped the hammer with nine laps to run, coasting clear of the field and coming home an easy winner in 8:47.43 ahead of teammate Meseret Defar (8:54.26) and Shannon Rowbury (8:55.55). It was easy for me because the field was not that strong,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;My family and my whole country are happy.&rdquo;
In the women&rsquo;s 800m, Burundi&rsquo;s Francine Niyonsaba returned to form and upset home favourite Ajee Wilson to take gold in 2:00.01, the fastest time in the world this year. Wilson had seized control of the race on the first lap, but Kenya&rsquo;s Margaret Wambui took over on the second lap. With 400m to run, Niyonsaba moved wide and surged to the front, shooting out to a five-metre lead which she never relinquished. Wilson rallied again to take second in 2:00.27, with Wambui third in 2:00.44.
&ldquo;I think Burundian people will remember this night,&rdquo; said Niyonsaba.
<h3>US relays on the double</h3>
It came as no surprise that the USA re-asserted their dominance of the 4x400m with a pair of facile wins, though their path to gold was made considerably easier by the misfortune which struck two of their chief rivals.
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Christopher Giesting passes to Vernon Norwood in the men's 4x400m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016</div>
&nbsp;
In the women&rsquo;s race, Jamaica&rsquo;s Patricia hall crashed to the track on the first leg, ending their involvement, and from there the Americans were all alone at the front. Natasha Hastings gave them the lead on the first leg, an advantage extended by Quenera Hayes on the second leg. Courtney Okolo clocked the fastest split of the day on third leg, 50.71, which left Ashlet Spencer all alone to enjoy the final leg, bringing them home in 3:26.38 ahead of Poland (3:31.15) and Romania (3:31.51).
In the men&rsquo;s race, Belgium looked the most likely to challenge the Americans, but their chances elapsed on the second leg when Robin Vanderbemden dropped the baton. Up front, the US extended their advantage with a strong leg from Christopher Giesting, who handed over to Vernon Norwood to bring them home in 3:02.45.
Bahamas, anchored by 37-year-old Chris Brown, held on for second in a national indoor record of 3:04.75, with Trinidad and Tobago taking third in 3:05.51, also a national record.
Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF

They saved the best for last. On the final day of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016, a sellout crowd of 7191 filled the stands at the Oregon Convention Center. Throughout an action-packed two-hour programme, they witnessed several individual displays to remember, and some thrilling contests they’ll simply never forget. 


Close calls, dominant displays highlight final day in Portland

Vashti Cunningham became the youngest ever women&rsquo;s winner at the World Indoor Championships, the American's first-time clearance at 1.96m being decisive.
Eight women attempted 1.96m and four went clear but only the 18-year-old Cunningham &ndash; jumping last of the 11 women in the straight final &ndash; much to the delight of the local crowd, went over at the first time of asking, just as the Las Vegas school girl had done at her three previous heights: 1.84m, 1.89m and 1.93m.
She was soon joined by Poland&rsquo;s defending champion Kamila Lickwinko and Spain&rsquo;s two-time European champion Ruth Beitia, who went over on their second attempts while Lithuania&rsquo;s Airine Palsyte needed all three of her attempts to progress.
However, when the bar went up to 1.99m none of the four women could go any higher.
At the other end of the age spectrum from the prodigious 2016 champion, Beitia &ndash; aged 36 and more than twice Cunningham&rsquo;s age &ndash; took the silver medal by virtue of not having any failures prior to 1.96m and became the oldest ever medallist in this event.
The 2014 joint-winner Licwinko had to settle for third this time after failures at both 1.84m and and 1.93m proved to be costly while Palsyte finished out of the medals in fourth.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Vashti Cunningham became the youngest ever women’s winner at the World Indoor Championships, the American's first-time clearance at 1.96m being decisive.

Report: women's high jump – IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016

Vashti Cunningham came of age in style by smashing the world U20 indoor high jump record on the final&nbsp;day of the US Indoor Championships in Portland on Saturday (12), the 18-year-old soaring over 1.99m to establish a world-leading mark.
It was perhaps fitting that the previous record of 1.97m &ndash; which stood since 2011 &ndash; was held by world champion Maria Kuchina, because Cunningham has long seemed destined for success at the highest level.
Her clearance brought a sizeable crowd at&nbsp;the Oregon Convention Center to its&nbsp;feet, and was&nbsp;one which establishes her as favourite for the high jump title at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016. Elizabeth Patterson edged&nbsp;Chaunte Lowe on countback to take silver, with both clearing a best of 1.93m.
&ldquo;It hasn&rsquo;t hit me yet,&rdquo; said Cunningham. &ldquo;I knew I had that in me and this gives me a lot of confidence, that I&rsquo;m now up there maintaining with all these girls.&rdquo;
Cunningham, who has yet to graduate high school in her native Las Vegas, has few fears about taking on the world at the same venue next weekend. &ldquo;The goal is to jump 6ft 7in or 6ft 8in (2.00m-2.03m) or whatever it takes to win,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel the pressure. My Dad [Randall, who coaches her] has taught me to keep my eyes set on what I want to do and not pay attention to anyone else.&rdquo;
<h3>Rollins reigns supreme, Morris surprises Suhr</h3>
On the track, Brianna Rollins turned in the performance of the day, the 2013 world champion blasting up the track in the 60m hurdles to edge victory in a PB of 7.76 &ndash; the fastest time in the world since 2012 &ndash; ahead of Keni Harrison (7.77) and Queen Harrison (7.83). The top six finishers ran below eight seconds in what was the strongest event of the championships.
In the women&rsquo;s 60m, Barbara Pierre made good use of a lightning start to power away from the field and take victory in 7.00, which ties the world-leading time of Dafne Schippers, who she&nbsp;will square off against next weekend. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m always a starter, but not always a finisher, and it all came together today,&rdquo; said Pierre. &ldquo;Next week I want to do the same thing, not lose focus and execute my race.&rdquo;
Tori Bowie came through strongly to take the second spot on the US team in 7.15, with Tianna Bartoletta third in 7.17.
There was a major upset in the women&rsquo;s pole vault, with Sandi Morris smashing her personal best to beat&nbsp;world indoor record-holder Jenn Suhr. Morris needed three attempts to clear 4.75m. Demi Payne then briefly held the lead at 4.85m after clearing it first time with Suhr in second and Morris third. After failing once at 4.85m &ndash; a height Suhr cleared at the first attempt &ndash; Morris moved the bar up to 4.90m, which she sailed over on&nbsp;her second attempt.
Suhr, though, looked to have victory in hand after clearing 4.90m on her first try, but Morris had other ideas, and the 23-year-old sailed over 4.95m at the first attempt to seal victory.
Payne failed twice at 4.90m and once at 4.95m, having to settle for third with 4.85m. It was the first time in history that three women had been over 4.85m in the same competition.
&ldquo;I grew up watching [Suhr] vault, and she was such an inspiration,&rdquo;&nbsp;said Morris. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m living the dream right now. Once I made 4.90 today the pressure was just lifted off of my chest.&nbsp;I'm gonna take some shots at the world record; that'd be&nbsp;freaking awesome.&rdquo;
<h3>Centrowitz edges a thriller</h3>
Matthew Centrowitz thrilled the home crowd by outsprinting&nbsp;Robby Andrews in what was a riveting climax to the men&rsquo;s 1500m. Centrowitz took the lead with a little over three laps to run, and was briefly&nbsp;headed by Andrews during their home-straight duel, but the defending champion had too much on the final run to the line and took victory in 3:44.33 ahead of Andrews (3:44.40) and Ben Blankenship (3:45.40).
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you want in racing, to bring out the best in each other,&rdquo; said Centrowitz.&nbsp;&ldquo;But having him go by me was probably the first time someone actually went by me this whole year. I was happy with the way I responded. It shows my strength right now.&rdquo;
In the men&rsquo;s 60m, Marvin Bracy took victory by five thousandths of a second from Trayvon Bromell, with both athletes running 6.51 to book their spots on the US team for next weekend. Jarret Eaton was a clear winner of the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles in 7.52 ahead of Spencer Adams (7.58) and Jeff Porter (7.61).
In the women&rsquo;s 800m, Ajee Wilson established herself as favourite for the world indoor title by breezing to victory in 2:00.87. The 2012 world junior champion led the race from gun to tape, passing 400m in 61.47 and cranking it up thereafter to come home well clear of Laura Roesler (2:02.44) and Phoebe Wright (2:02.51).
Boris Berian employed the same tactic in the men&rsquo;s 800m and was equally dominant, coming home in 1:47.19 ahead of Erik Sowinski (1:47.62) and Casimir Loxsom (1:47.89).
In the women&rsquo;s 1500m, Brenda Martinez unleashed an impressive turn of speed approaching the final lap, which took her clear of the field to win in 4:08.37 ahead of Cory McGee (4:09.97) and Amanda Eccleston (4:10.42).
Quanera Hayes was a surprise winner of the women&rsquo;s 400m, striking late to win in 51.09 ahead of Ashley Spencer (51.29) and longtime leader Natasha Hastings (51.34). The men&rsquo;s race provided no such upset, with Vernon Norwood justifying the&nbsp;favourite&rsquo;s tag by taking gold in 45.80 from Kyle Clemons (45.95).
Brittney Reese opened the women&rsquo;s long jump series with a whopping 6.89m &ndash; the third longest jump in the world this year &ndash; which was more than good enough to take gold ahead of Janay DeLoach (6.64m) and Andrea Geubelle (6.57m).&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was&nbsp;really important to come out here and establish some kind of rhythm on the runway before next week,&rdquo; said Reese. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go back with my coach and watch some film and see where&nbsp;I need to improve on in order to win another medal.&rdquo;
Chris Carter took victory in the men&rsquo;s triple jump with his fifth-round effort of 17.06m, with Omar Craddock also joining him on the US team after finishing second with 16.96m.
Kurt Roberts denied Reese Hoffa by the shortest of margins to take the men&rsquo;s shot put title, his 20.08m effort in the fourth round giving him victory by one centimetre ahead of Hoffa. &ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d win it with that winning distance, but I don&rsquo;t think that reflects the shape I&rsquo;m in,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I spent all last year injured, so it feels good to come out and win.&rdquo;
John Nunn took victory in the men&rsquo;s 3000m race walk in 11:37.09, while Maria Michta-Coffey took the women&rsquo;s in 12:33.75.
Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF