STATEN ISLAND, New York — Three American indoor records, four meet records, enthralling middle distance finishes and upsets got the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships, presented by Prevagen, off to an explosive start Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.
When the heat is on, Chase Jackson responds. Already the American record holder indoors and outdoors, Jackson blasted another American record in round five of the women's shot put, pushing the four-kilogram ball out to 20.44/67-0.75 to add 20cm to her own national standard. Jackson fouled her first attempt and then hit 18.75/61-6.25 in round two and improved to 19.10/62-8 on her third throw to stretch her lead. A 19.27/63-2.75 in round four kept her ahead of Abria Smith, who hit a lifetime best of 19.23/63-1.25 on her fourth toss, and she capped off the day with her big blast on the next effort. Jackson won her fourth straight U.S. indoor gold and sixth overall, with Smith taking silver and Jaida Ross bronze at 18.43/60-5.75.
This millennium's dominant figure in American men's race walking, with a basket full of national titles across the array of competitive distances, Nick Christie added his eighth career indoor gold with a flourish to open the meet as he bettered the American record in the 5000 with a 19:13.37 that chopped more than two seconds off the ratified American record of 19:15.88 by Tim Seaman in 2006. Jordan Crawford walked a steady race to take silver in 21:15.02. Christie was never seriously challenged, leading by 19 seconds at 1K, 38 at 2K, 1:02 at 3K, and 1:26 at 4K.
Not to be outdone, Lauren Harris, the newest star on the U.S. women's walk scene, broke away after 2k and defended her title with an American record of 22:14.69, bettering the previous record of 22:23.91 set in 2018 by Miranda Melville. This was the first time women have competed at the 5000-meter distance at the USATF Indoor Championships. Harris and 10-time champion Maria Michta-Coffey walked in tandem through the first nine laps before Harris made her decisive move, and Harris opened up a 23-second lead over the next kilometer. She continued to extend that margin, leading by 54 seconds at 4K, and won by 1:15 over Michta-Coffey, who earned silver in 23:30.42.
A middling early tempo in the women's 3000 saw the field go past 1K in 3:01, but the field was stretched out in single file. Two-time champion and the 2024 World Indoor gold medalist Elle St. Pierre started to push the pace from there and a big gap formed between a lead pack of six and the remainder of the field. St. Pierre clicked off a 2:48 second kilometer to pass 2K in 5:49.13 and she had only Emily Mackay for company. With two laps to go Mackay was on St. Pierre's heels and she made a strong move coming into the final bend to pass St. Pierre and sprint to victory in 8:30.01, shattering the venerable meet record of 8:40.45 that was set in 1990 by distance legend Lynn Jennings. St. Pierre was also way under that record with an 8:31.07 for silver, and Margot Appleton earned bronze in 8:41.41. Mackay's time moved her to No. 9 on the all-time U.S. indoor performer list.
Zach Bradford became the sixth American member of the 6.00 meter club in the men's pole vault, going over a meet record 6.01/19-8.5 on his second attempt. Bradford's previous lifetime best was 5.91/19-4.75 and he moved to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. indoor performer list with that clearance. he needed two tries at the opening height of 5.50/18-0.5 and again at 5.75/18-10.25 but was clear first time at the next three bars before his record-setting vault. American indoor record holder Chris Nilsen and outdoor record holder KC Lightfoot tied for silver at 5.85/19-2.75 and had an administrative jump-off for the second spot on Team USATF for the World Indoor Championships.
Training partners Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare set a serious pace in the opening laps of the men's 3000 and then settled into a more comfortable tempo to come through 1K in 2:38. Matthew Wilkinson surged to the fore through 2K in 5:17.11 ahead of Hocker, Sam Prakel and Teare. Racing started in earnest after that as Nico Young pressed past Hocker into second and Yared Nuguse decided to join the party. Nuguse and Wilkinson were side by side for a few strides, but Nuguse edged away with Young stalking him off his shoulder. Young went by Nuguse coming to the bell and there was a mad dash around the oval that ended up in a very tight finish with only .04 covering the top three as Hocker won in 7:39.25. Nuguse took silver in 7:39.28 and Young earned bronze in 7:39.29. Hocker remained undefeated this year and picked up his second career U.S. 3000 title.
Dethroning nine-time defending champion Vashti Cunningham in the women's high jump, 2024 Olympic Trials winner Charity Hufnagel had a third attempt clearance at 1.96/6-5 to win her first U.S. indoor crown. Hufnagel, who has had an impressive season with three wins in Europe, had no misses through 1.87/6-1.5, but needed two tries at 1.90/6-2.75. She sailed over 1.93/6-4 first time, but Cunningham needed all three attempts to negotiate that height, and Hufnagel wrapped it up at the winning height to tie her lifetime best before taking three unsuccessful attempts at 2.00/6-6.75. Anna Hall, who won the USATF Indoor Combined Events gold in the pentathlon last week, took bronze at 1.90/6-2.75.
After some spicy prelims an epic battle looked likely in the men's 60 hurdles final, and it delivered. Dylan Beard and Trey Cunningham were in adjacent lanes in the middle of the straightaway and almost inseparable through the first four barriers, but Cunningham brushed the final hurdle and opened the door for Beard to win his first U.S. indoor title in 7.37, equaling Cunningham's world-leading time from two weeks ago. Cunningham ended up with silver in 7.40, and Jamal Britt set a lifetime best of 7.46 for bronze. In the heats, Cunningham breezed to a 7.38 to win section two, with Beard second in 7.47. Britt (7.53) and Johnny Brackins (7.58) were the other heat winners.
Alia Armstrong, who was fourth in the 100 hurdles at the 2022 World Championships, won her first U.S. indoor crown in the women's 60 hurdles with a season best 7.82 ahead of Danae Dyer, who set a lifetime best in second at 7.92. Amber Hughes used a season best of 7.98 to take bronze. Olympian Alaysha Johnson was charged with a false start and after a reset ran under protest, finishing virtually even with Armstrong, but was ultimately disqualified.
Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore took care of business early in the women's long jump, taking the lead in round one at 6.69/21-11.5 and improving to 6.86/22-6.25 on her next try to seal her first U.S. indoor title in the event. She added a 6.84/22-5.25 for insurance in round five and rounded out her winning series with a 6.72/22-0.75. Last year's champion, Monae' Nichols, garnered silver with a pair of 6.72/22-0.75 leaps, and 2025 World Indoor champion Claire Bryant was the bronze medalist at 6.69/21-11.5.
Men's triple jump honors went to defending champion Russell Robinson, who took only three of his attempts and won it on his third try with a 16.59/54-5.25. James Carter earned silver with a best of 16.24/53-3.5.
Isaiah Rogers had the two farthest throws in the men's 35-pound weight, topped by a 23.41/76-9.75 in round six for the victory. Konner Wood grabbed silver with a best of 22.92/75-2.5 in the final round.
In preliminary action, the burden of expectations didn't seem to trouble Cooper Lutkenhaus as the teenage phenom easily advanced to the men's 800 final with a controlled 1:47.00 in heat three. Showing the tactical nous of a much more mature athlete, the 17-year-old Texan waited until the final lap to take the lead, and he was not to be beaten on the run in. 2021 Olympian Isaiah Jewett took the first heat in 1:48.52 after a very slow first 400, while Isaiah Harris captured heat two in 1:47.32. The final heat was taken by Joe Waskom in 1:47.72.
Meghan Hunter was the fastest of the women's qualifiers for the 800 final, winning the first section in 2:00.56, but the biggest shock was Sage Hurta-Klecker failing to advance to the final after finishing second in heat two at 2:01.71. Other heat wins went to Addison Wiley, who took the second section in 2:00.64, along with Valery Tobias (2:01.00-h3) and Olivia Baker (2:02.24-h4).
Pending world record holder Khaleb McRae had the fastest time in the four heats of the men's 400, clocking 45.63 to take the fourth and final section and advance to the two-section final. In that final he will face the second fastest heat winner, Chris Robinson, who won section three in 45.73, and time qualifiers Demarius Smith and TJ Tomlyanovich. The two other heat winners, Justin Robinson and Elija Godwin, will face off in section one of the final against time qualifiers Jevon O'Bryant and Steven McElroy.
The same procedure applies in the women's 400, with former Arkansas teammates Paris Peoples (52.18) and Rosey Effiong (52.20) recording the fastest heat wins to secure berths in the second section of the final with time qualifiers Taiya Shelby and Abbey Glynn. The first section of the final will feature heat winners Bailey Lear (52.46) and Shamier Little (52.91) going up against time qualifiers Brianna White and Sara Reifenrath.
American
Men's 5000 Race Walk – 19:13.37, Nick Christie (NYAC/WCAP) Women's 5000 Race Walk – 22:14.69, Lauren Harris (NYAC) Women's Shot Put – 20.44/67-0.75, Chase Jackson (Nike)
Meet
Women's 5000 Race Walk – 22:14.69, Lauren Harris (NYAC) Women's 3000 – 8:30.01, Emily Mackay (New Balance) Women's Shot Put – 20.44/67-0.75, Chase Jackson (Nike) Men's Pole Vault – 6.01/19-8.5, Zach Bradford (unattached)