USATF Preview--Women

Same format, blah, blah, blah!
You maybe can tell I'm getting a bit tired!!
LOL
And here come the Women!!

FRIDAY's FINALS
WT (81-3.75)
As with the Men, America's best WT artists showed up!
Gwen Berry and Amber Campbell should get the two team positions.
The MR, however, presents a real challenge, and I see it surviving another year!
Jessica Ramsey, Felicia Johnson, and Amanda Bingson are probably here just as set decoration!

TJ (46-8.25)
America's best bet to make the Finals in Portland a week hence, Keturah Orji, is forced to remain a Georgia Bulldog at the NCAA meet!
But Andrea Geubelle seems to be returning to her form of a couple years back, hitting a good 45-7 and change recently!
This places her solidly in contention for one of the two spots available.
Others to watch for are Amanda Smock, Christina Epps, and Ciarra Brewer.

SP (66-4.50)
Why did they schedule the NCAA the same weekend as the USATF meet?
This guarantees that the 3rd best SP'er in the WORLD--INdoors or OUTdoors--in 2016 isn't here!!
That's right, Raven Saunders is 3rd in the World, behind a Chinese woman and someone named--Valerie Adams!!
She might have gone to the WC as the GOLD MEDAL favorite!!
Okay, rant ended!
Michelle Carter is here, as well as Jill Camarena-Williams, who has yet to show her pre-motherhood form!
Jeneva Stevens will contend with Jessica Ramsey, Felicia Johnson, Brittany Smith, and Dani Bunch against the two US vets!

3000 (8:40.45)
Don't expect this MR to be challenged even remotely!
Even though the wheels are solid, and the fire within is burning!
Shannon Rowbury should be the winner here, but with Emily Infeld, Shelby Houlihan, Abbey D'Agostino, and Marielle Hall in the field, don't expect too much space between them and Rowbury!
Shalaya Kipp and Leah O'Connor are probably in this race to increase their confidence for the Steeplechase!
Would be nice to have Molly Huddle here, but she's racing a Half-Marathon next week, and her best track distance is the 10000.

SATURDAY's FINALS
LJ (24-0.25)
When was the last time an American Woman came close to jumping 24 feet?
Brittney Reese has--a few times--and she's in the field.
But she's nowhere near the high-23 shape she'd need to challenge this MR.
In fact, Janay DeLoach should be the favorite here!
She's had a great and consistent year of 22 foot jumps!
Funmi Jimoh, Andrea Geubelle, and Reese will challenge for the team spots!

PV (16-5.50)
Jenn Suhr--who changed her mind and decided to compete here and (assuming she makes the team!) in the WC--is a pretty fair candidate to get her own Meet Record--and heck, just for fun, the WORLD Record too!
Might as well, eh?
But she's going to have maybe the best-ever American group of Female Vaulters breathing down her neck!!
Or let's hope that comes to pass!
The SECOND 16 foot US woman is here too!
Demi Payne doesn't have INdoor Collegiate eligibility at Stephen A Austin, so she was able to bypass the NCAA for this meet!
Her former Collegiate nemesis--Sandi Morris--now a Profesh!--is here too!
And she's jumped 15-9, and made attempts at 16 feet!!
Will we see THREE Americans reach that venerable standard--in a single meet!!--in Portland tomorrow??
But they'd better be ON--because Mary Saxer might be right behind them!
Kristin Hixson and Katie Nageotte are two others not to be taken lightly!

HJ (6-7.50)
The "other" vertical jump isn't doing nearly as well as her sister event!
However, First Aid is on the way!
Veteran Chaunte Lowe is finally back--most of the way!---after giving birth!
She jumped 6-4.75 recently.
But what's happening with Brigetta Barrett?
She also seemed to be coming back--although her 2016 best is just barely over 6 feet!
She's not here!
But new blood is ready for the needed transfusion!
High Schooler--She's a Senior now!--Vashti Cunningham is here to qualify for the WC!
And she's probably considered the favorite--although you can't count out a seasoned vet like Lowe!
Can either one reach 2.00 on the metric scale?
Liz Patterson and Tynita Butts will be there to challenge.

3000 Walk (12:28.32)
The Michta's are both here--youngster Katie, and Maria Michta-Coffey!
Maria of course is the 20K US Record holder.
Whether she can challenge this MR is unknown to me.
Erin Gray and Miranda Melville could be strong challengers at this "sprint" distance!

800 (1:58.41)
The MR is held by Mozambiquan Maria Mutola.
This is because foreigners were allowed to compete in the American Nationals back in the day!
And her mark is listed in the official list of USATF Meet Records!
That said, we have some runners who could eventually take the record down!
One of those is Ajee Wilson.
Another is Laura Roesler, who might even have a bit more unmet potential than does Wilson!
Those two should get the two team spots.
They'll be challenged by super-vet Treniere Moser, and Blogger/Twitter Queen Phoebe Wright!

1500 (4:03.08)
Shannon Rowbury, as of right now, is scheduled for the 3000-1500 double.
That might move the OUTdoor AR holder closer to 800 specialist Brenda Martinez, who ran a solid 4:04 a month ago or so!
If the pace is fast from the gun, the MR could go down!
But it probably won't!
Unless someone ELSE decides to challenge the two A-T greats!
And one of those challengers might be 19 year old Pro Alexa Efraimson.
She has some solid credentials--as well as racing savvy newly learned, and something else--NO FEAR!!
But this field is, yes, LOADED beyond those already named!
We have Katie Mackey, Amanda Eccleston, Morgan Uceny, Erin Donahue, Rachel Schneider, Cory McGee, and Heather Kampf!!
A CROWDED field!  Wear your helmets, Ladies!!

400 (50.71)
Another of those relatively SOFT MR's!
But Natasha Hastings, who recently got the US 300 record (36.25), could come close, if not break it!
Ashley Spencer, Jessica Beard, Phyllis Francis, and new Pro Kendell Baisden, are here.
Those NOT here are the Big Three of US 400 racing--Allyson Felix, Fran McCorory, and Sanya Richards-Ross!!
Why??

60H (7.74)
I keep saying it, but the OUTdoor World Championships of last summer should be FORGOTTEN!!
It was (hopefully!!) an anomaly, the outlier of outliers in Women's US Hurdling history!
An utter DISASTER!
But 2016 ain't 2015!!
And THIS year, all of the 2015 Warrior Queens are BACK!!
And except for Dawn Harper-Nelson, and maybe one or two others BIG names, they're all HERE!!
You can add back-from-surgery Lolo Jones to that list too!
But the now-healthy Jones will have Brianna Rollins, Kristi Castlin, Sharika Nelvis, Jasmin Stowers, Jackie Coward, Janay DeLoach, Kendra Harrison, the Wild Card Nia Ali, Christina Manning, and Queen Harrison to contend with!
With Ali's Wild Card, that leaves the two spots for others!
Who will they be!
Blindfold yourself and Pin the Tail on the Donkey!

60 (6.99)
So many MIA's!
Too many to name!
Too sad this game!
On the Road to Fame!
Ohhhh, sooo lame!!
What a fucking SHAME!!
"Poetry" aside, we do have Barbara Pierre, Tianna Bartoletta, Tori Bowie, and Jenna Prandini to try for TeamUSA for--Portland!
The Meet Record will survive!

The meets--all 3--will have some TV and webcast and livestream coverage.

Check the T&FN website for all the details!
Enjoy watching the meets.
And be back HERE-- -Saturday night--for FULL DETAILED reports from the NCAA and USATF meets.

Then return Sunday evening for my NBIN report!!

See you soon!