2022 Prefontaine Classic

 Did my Prefontaine Classic Preview help you follow and enjoy the meet?
(As ever, I missed a key name here and there, or was too giddy about a Record falling!)
But we're here to give you the facts--just the facts!

One way for me to measure how good an event was is to see how many athletes made my Top 24 A-T Performers lists (DDD's), or how many improved their marks, if already on the list!
With that criteria in mind, the Women's Two Mile topped the entire 2 days of action!
EIGHT of the runners are now on my World list (Only Konstanze Klosterhalfen was already there!), and SEVEN Americans made my US list!!

NOTE: As my readers know, I do NOT honor any results from Francine Niyonsaba, Caster Semenya, Margaret Wambui, Christine Mboma, or Beatrice Masilingi!!  Thus, the winner (as I see it!) of this race was Beatrice Chebet!!

Beatrice Chebet led a trail of Women in the Friday evening Two Mile, her 9:14.71 giving her the Age 22 Record!
She is ranked 10th A-T World!
Laura Galvan's 9:15.79 is the new National Record of Mexico!
She's ranked 11th A-T World!
KoKo was 3rd in 9:16.73, a PR for her!
She breaks her own National Record of Germany, and ranks 13th A-T World!

The first American was Helen Schlactenhaufen, her 9:17.62 making her 3rd A-T US, and 16th A-T World!
Elly Henes's 9:18.73 was next, making her 4th A-T US, and 17th A-T World!
Her 8:42.58 at 3000 enroute makes her 24th A-T US!
OFF the US list is a real oldies icon, Jan Merrill!
Her 8:42.6 was run in 1978!!

Edinah Jebitok was 6th, her 9:19.01 giving her the best 6th Place mark!
She also gets the Age 20 Record!
It makes her 18th A-T World!
Eleanor Fulton continued the string of US Women on the list!
Her 9:20.17 makes her 5th A-T US, and 20th A-T World!
More significantly, it's the Age 29 Record, and the best 7th Place mark!
Right on her shoulder came Whittni Morgan (formerly Orton), whose 9:20.19 is the best 8th Place mark!
She ranks 6th A-T US, and 21st A-T World!
Dani Jones was 9th in 9:35.67!
This makes her 13th A-T US!
Ella Donaghu ended 10th in 9:40.44!
She ranks 16th A-T US!
Finally, Taryn Rawlings's 9:41.11 ranks her 18th A-T US!

Before this race, the World's 24th place time was close to 9:25--it's now 4 seconds faster!
The US's 24th best was 9:54 & change before, and after, it's 9:44!!
Solid movement, but still WAY more to go!!

The "WR attempts" by Joshua Cheptegei and Letesenbet Gidey both failed!
Cheptegei won, but his 12:57.99 was 22 seconds off his target!
Gidey didn't even win the race!!
Ejgeyehu Taye took over and ran away to a great 14:12.98, giving her the Meet Record, and ranking her 5th A-T World!
Gidey struggled to a 2nd place 14:24.59!
Rachel Daniel was 3rd in 14:36.66, which breaks her own National Record of Eritrea!

The Women's 3000SC was a blazer, but the pair of top Americans didn't do too well!
Norah Tanui, now a citizen of Kazakhstan, broke her own National Record with her 8:57.97 winner!
She also gets the Age 26 Record!
Right with her till the last hurdle was Winfred Yavi, who finished in 8:58.71!
She ranks 7th A-T World!
In 3rd came Mekides Abebe, her 9:03.26 making her 12th A-T World!
Peruth Chemutai was next in 9:05.54, while in 6th was Werkwuha Getachew's 9:07.81!
This makes her 22nd A-T World!

Back a ways, and never in the mix, were Emma Coburn (9:18) and Courtney Frerichs (9:20)!
They were basically rust-busters for the pair!

Faith Kipyegon said she was surprised to run so fast, but I wasn't!
Her 3:52.59 broke her own Meet Record, so where's the surprise?
Plus, she had INdoor WR holder Gudaf Tsegay to push her!
Tsegay wound up running 3:54.21.
Then there was a big gap to the 2nd group, led by Gabby DeBues-Stafford's 3:58.62.
Sinclaire Johnson wins the prize for Biggest Surprise, as her 3:58.85 makes her 7th A-T US!
Jessica Hull's 3:59.31 and Elle Purrier St Pierre's 3:59.68 followed!
Cory McGee ended just 9th, but her 4:00.34 is a PR, and makes her 14th A-T US!

The iconic Bowerman Mile was the last distance race of the day!
There's no stopping Jakob Ingebrigtsen, it seems, no matter the pace!
He eased into place, then went ahead when needed, and won with 3:49.76.
Ollie Hoare took 2nd with his fastest--3:50.65!
Tim Cheruiyot remained steady, timing 3:50.77 in 3rd.
He held off Abel Kipsang's 3:50.87!

Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker used their old Ducks stomping grounds to prove they can run fast OUTdoor miles also!
Hocker's 3:50.97 makes him 12th A-T US!
Teare ran 3:51.70, ranking him 20th A-T US!

OFF the US list are two rather famous names--
Galen Rupp's 3:52.11 from 2013, and Craig Masback's 3:52.02--from 1979!!

Well back in 13th (But not last--that honor went to Clay Murphy!!) came HS sensation Colin Sahlman!
His 3:56.24 puts him 3rd A-T HS, behind only Alan Webb and Jim Ryun!
There are now 13 HS'ers who have gone sub-4 OUTdoors!!

Taken FROM the HS list was one Gerry Lindgren, whose 4:01.5 from 1964 was maybe his LEAST known time!!

Michael Norman ran the closest to his 2019 PR of 43.45 here Saturday, as his 43.60 gave him the Pre Classic Meet Record!!
Kirani James ended 2nd in 44.02, while Matthew Hudson-Smith JUST got the National Record of Great Britain with his 44.35!

Ryan Crouser used a new technique (Find the video on USATF-TV, because I'm an idiot when it comes to explaining technique!!) and won the SP with a Crouser-Common distance of 75-6.25!
Joe Kovacs was in good form, his 73-9.50 taking 2nd!
Tom Walsh threw 72-0.75 to beat the 71-8 by Darrell Hill!

Elaine Thompson-Herah cruised to an easy win in the 100, her 10.79 beating the 10.92's by Sha'Carri Richardson and Sharicka Jackson!
SCR came out in a costume worthy of Cher or Lady Gaga, even showing some cleavage with her deep V-cut top
And her long fingernails reminded me of Gail Devers in 1992!!
Nonetheless, her 10.92 was a solid "comeback" from recent personal controversies!

While Cheptegei failed miserably in his WR try, Berihu Arigawi used the Saturday race to beat the Meet Record, at least!
His 12:50.05 was a solo run, destroying Mo Farah's old MR!
It also ranks him 23rd A-T World!
Sam Tefera ran his first 5000, ending 2nd in 13:06.86!

In the absence of Athing Mu (a 2nd bout of Covid!!), and despite a good kick by Ajee Wilson, young Brit Keely Hodgkinson made her 1:57.72 look easy!
Wilson ended in 1:58.06, beating the 1:58.44 by Raevyn Rogers.
Sage Hurta ran 1:59.59 in 5th!

Other Pre marks---
Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce jogged 22.41 to take the 200!
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn fought a wind of 0.7 to run 12.45 over the 100H!
She beat Tobi Amusan's 12.58!
Khaddi Sagnia Long Jumped 22-9.75 to pull out the W!

Valarie Allman again defeated Sandra Perkovic in the DT, 224-3 to 214-11.
Trayvon Bromell won the 100 over Fred Kerley, 9.93 to 9.98!
Sam Tanner won a 1500 in 3:34.37, beating the 3:34.85 by Neil Gourley!
Back in 5th, but with a good time, came Hobbs Kessler in 3:36.63!

Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the High Jump with 6-6.75!
She missed 3 tries at 2.03!
Mondo Duplantis Pole Vaulted "only" 19-4.75, so no MR!
Chris Nilsen took 2nd with 19-0.75!
Matching that height in 3rd was Sondre Guttormsen!
But it makes him 8th A-T Collegiate, tied with 1 other!
BTW, Guttormsen also Q'ed for the NCAA in Arkansas on Wednesday, so had just 2 days to travel to Oregon and compete on Friday, since the PV (& Women's DT & HJ) was moved to Friday because of feared bad weather on Saturday!!

Finally, Alison Dos Santos had the 400H all to himself, so his 47.23 looks better knowing it was solo!
(Rai Benjamin was one of many dropouts from the meet just days before the event!!)
Khalifah Rosser was 2nd in 48.10, the same time given to Quincy Hall in 3rd!
Hall's mark ranks him 23rd A-T US!

Not a bad meet, but could've been better!
Too many defectors, not so great weather (but nowhere as bad as feared!), and too close to the USATF for Americans!
The "crowd" barely filled maybe one-third of the seats!
Nonetheless, the array of true elites gave those there a good show!

See you soon!