Team USATF World Athletics U20 Championships Preview

EUGENE, Oregon — Four times in the previous 20 editions of the World Athletics U20 Championships Team USATF has tallied 20 or more total medals, putting the U.S. atop the all-time table with 280. That total and lead will likely add some padding this week when the world's top teenage track and field athletes converge on Hayward Field for the second time.

The "old" Hayward Field hosted the first U20 worlds to be held on U.S. soil in 2014, and though the stadium has completely changed, American dominance has not. Team USATF picked up 21 medals here in 2014, 11 of them gold, and with the array of talent lined up this year, that number could go up.

Here's an event-by-event look at the U.S. team and some of their top challengers from around the globe:

Men's 100

Co-holder of the American U20 record with a 9.92 he ran in 2025 to win the Texas high school 6A title, Tate Taylor is now a more seasoned international performer after foregoing his senior year of prep competition in favor of a less hectic slate of meets against elite competition. He set his '26 best of 10.04 in finishing second at the Tokyo Continental Tour Gold meet and won the USATF U20 title in 10.15 with a headwind of 1.3 mps.  Ohio State's Kyler Brown was the runner-up to Taylor at the USATF meet and has a best of 10.12 this season. Brown earned NCAA bronze running second leg on the Buckeye 4x100 that ran 38.44. Jamaica's Gary Card was sixth at this meet in 2024 and earned gold with his country's 4x100. He exploded to a 9.93 for second at the Jamaican nationals to lead all entrants and also clocked 10.03 at the Penn Relays.

Men's 200

Taylor did the sprint double at the USATF U20 meet and will attempt the same here. That would be a first for an American, and Taylor looks well set to make history. He has three sub-20 outings this season and won the Pre Classic with a shocking 19.75 that made him the third fastest U20 performer ever. Another Texan, Blake Hamilton, moved into the No. 8 all-time U20 slot with his 20.02 to place second at the USATF U20 meet. Card is the only entrant within shouting distance of the Lone Star duo, bringing in a best of 20.28, while Taylor's training partner, Jake Odey-Jordan of Great Britain, has run 20.33 and was the bronze medalist two years ago.

Men's 400

Jayden Deleon destroyed his lifetime best at the USATF U20 meet, ripping around the oval in 44.52 to become the No. 11 all-time world U20 performer. In the process he beat 2024 Olympic 4x400 gold medalist and U20 No. 3 all-time performer Quincy Wilson, who ended up with silver in 44.84. Those two are a formidable obstacle for anyone who wants to take the top spot on the podium, and it has been 14 years since the last U.S. gold in the event. Top contenders include sub-45 men Suleiman Abdulrahman of the UAE and Guyana's Malachi Austin, an LSU Tiger who earned silver in the 4x400 at the NCAA Championships. Leendert Koekemoer of South Africa has also cracked 45 with a 44.94 PB.

Men's 800

A pair of sub-1:45 performers stand between USATF U20 champ Stefon Dodoo and the first U.S. gold ever in this event. Dodoo set his PB of 1:46.17 to place sixth at the SEC Championships for Texas A&M, but will be up against Australia's Daniel Williams, who clocked 1:44.37 in March and was sixth at the Pre Classic. Imad Bouchajda of Morocco is only .01 behind Williams on the entry list and earned silver at this year's African Championships. USATF runner-up Kaleb Burroughs has a PB of 1:46.78 that put him two places behind Dodoo at the SEC meet for South Carolina.

Men's 1500

Michigan's Henry Dixon has a chance to break the drought of U.S. medals in the event, as an American has never made the podium and fifth is the highest place ever for the red, white and blue. Dixon set his PB of 3:38.70 at the Raleigh Relays in March but will need to make a quantum leap to take on Ethiopia's Destaw Tade, a rather unknown quantity who has a best of 3:36.41. Qatar's Mohamed Torech has run 3:36.96 and gone sub-3:39 four times this season, while Japan's Honda Ojiro is a 3:37.53 man with good range. The second American is Nate Stadtlander of Oklahoma State, who has a PB of 3:42.31.

Men's 3000

USATF champ Noah Bontrager was a late qualifier after running an indoor 8:02.39 PB at Penn two weeks ago. He is joined on the U.S. squad by Owen Powell, who clocked 7:59.94 at the Cork meet in Ireland on July 8. Powell was third at the USATF U20 meet. Heavily favored in this race is Kenya's Emmanuel Kiprono, who placed second at the World Cross Country Championships in January and ran 7:35.4 at altitude in Nairobi in May. He is more than 10 seconds faster than the next best entrant, France's U20 record holder Alois Abraham. Abraham has a PB of 7:46.78. The U.S. has never earned a medal at this distance, which was first contested in 2021.

Men's 3000 Steeplechase

Spain's Bakr El Asri has a 10+-second margin over all other entrants based on his PB of 8:24.40 at Vienna in June but never count out a Kenyan in the steeple since the country can boast more than 15 World U20 golds in the event. Emmanuel Someki is the latest in a line of superb Kenyan runners over the barriers with an 8:35.30 at Nairobi to win his nation's U20 title. Finishing behind him at 8:37.98 was Nicholas Losiwareng, another medal hopeful. USATF runner-up Austin Carrera of Wichita State is the sole American entrant, bringing in a best of 8:54.42. This is another event with no previous medalists from the U.S.

Men's 5000

World Cross Country U20 champ Frankline Kibet of Kenya is another clear favorite for a nation with a rich history of distance running dominance. He set a 13:08.32 PB at the Paris Diamond League meet in June and ran 13:10.70 in Nairobi in April. The Japanese duo of Yota Mashiko and Ryo Kurimura are serious medal contenders with sub-13:22 bests, and Kenya has another solid entrant in Nehemiah Kipngeno. American hopes for a first-ever medal rest on Juan Gonzalez of Oregon and Jack Bidwell of Michigan.

Men's 110 Hurdles

Probably the best event on the track at the USATF U20 meet, the sprint hurdles saw Georgia's Le'Ezra Brown rocket to a 12.95 American U20 record in the heats before losing a hairsbreadth decision to Zacchaeus Brocks in the final. Brocks set a national high school record of 12.98, the same time awarded to Brown, and the dynamic duo hope to repeat the 1-2 sweep by Ja'Kobe Tharp and Andre Korbmacher in 2024. Brown is No. 2 on the world all-time U2- performer list, with Brocks at No. 5. Japan's Asian U20 champ Jeremy Koga is the closest to the Americans on time with a best of 13.05.

Men's 400 Hurdles

Japan's Taiju Goto dramatically improved in 2026, setting a world U18 best of 48.09 to win his national championships. In the heats at that meet he clocked 48.31, another U18 world best, and he won the Asian U20 Championships in May. 2024 silver medalist Michal Rada of Czechia returns to try and move up one step on the podium, and he has a best of 48.89 this year. The other sub-49 entrant is Matodzi Ndo of South Africa, who has run 48.64. Breaking a 24-year-old national high school record to win the USATF U20 meet in 49.20, Keenen Davis of Washington DC's Archbishop Carroll chopped more than two seconds off his pre-Champs PB. Washington state high schooler Miller Warme also knocked a big chunk off his PB at the USATF meet with a 49.28 to set an American U18 best.

Men's 5000 Race Walk

Nitin Gupta of India is 30+ seconds better than the nearest competitor on the entries, but that means nothing in race walking, given the strict judging criteria in international championships. Mexico's Emiliano Barba was the silver medalist in 2024 when they walked 10,000 meters, and Australia's Isaac Beacroft, fourth in '24, won the Commonwealth Games 10,000 in Glasgow last week. Jose Duvan Ccoscco Sueldo of Peru is a veteran of the World Cup in Brazil in April and has a 19:27.12 PB. One other returnee from 2024, Italy's Alessio Coppola, has an indoor 19:30.77 to his credit in '26. U.S. fortunes ride on Gael Plasencia, who won the USATF gold by more than 40 seconds. No American has ever medaled in the event.

Men's High Jump

Conference USA champ Gage Voyles of Kennesaw State set his PB of 2.27 to win that title, and he cleared 2.24 for the USATF U20 crown. He is only one centimeter behind list leader Younes Ayachi of Algeria, the African champion who set his lifetime best of 2.28 indoors in Germany in February and appears to be a tough one to knock off the top of the podium. Britain's Samuel James and Alan Hanna of the Bahamas have bests of 2.25 this season, while North Carolina high schooler Maddox Krotzer is the other American hopeful with a 2.21 PB.

Men's Pole Vault

Sitting at No. 2 on the all-time U20 world performer list behind some guy named Duplantis, France's Zackaria Dia has a PB of 5.82 that puts him more than 15cm higher than the next best entrant. Dia was fifth at the French Championships indoors and out. Henri Apri of Estonia has been steadily improving through the season and went over a PB of 5.66 last week. He will give USATF champ Jaxon Jerabek a stiff battle for medal position, as Jerabek has a best of 5.56. Isaiah Whitaker should also be in the hunt, equaling his PB of 5.47 for second at the USATF meet and adding two centimeters to win the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Men's Long Jump

India looks like the nation to beat with the top two entrants in Shahnavaz Khan, the national championships runner-up with a PB leap of 8.30, and R.C. Jithin Arnujan, an 8.12 performer in '26. 2024 bronze medalist Mason McGroder of Australia is back and has a best of 7.77 this season. Michigan's Quincy Isaac was the Big 10 silver medalist, setting his PB of 7.89, and he matched that distance at the NCAA East meet. He went on to take ninth at the NCAA Championships. Carter Reckelberg of North Dakota State was the Summit League outdoor silver medalist and after placing seventh at the USATF U20 Champs his 7.61 indoor PB earned him his qualifier for this meet.

Men's Triple Jump

Giann C. Baxter of Cuba was sixth in 2024, but has the top entry mark this year with a 16.80 that puts him well in front of the nearest challenger. Baxter finished second at the Cuban Championships but has not competed outside his home country in 2026. Asian U20 champion Zhuoyue Wang of China took that title with a PB leap of 16.42, making him a valid target for USATF winner Miles Nesmith. Nesmith, a Tennessee high schooler, added 17cm to his PB at the Ed Murphey Classic, bounding 16.32, and earlier this year he was the Nike indoor champ. Georgia prep Justin Arogundade established his PB of 15.96 in placing second at the USATF meet and will likely need another big improvement to make it to the final.

Men's Shot Put

You never know how a collegian will react to the lighter international U20 implement, but Arkansas State's Omar Hussein seemed to really enjoy the 6kg ball when he blasted it out to a world-leading 20.97 to take the gold at the USATF meet. Hussein was fourth at the Sun Belt outdoor champs, qualified for the NCAA Championships, and has a 16-pound PB of 18.72. Asian U20 champ Park Si-Hoon of South Korea, who was 17th in the 2024 qualifying round, is a serious threat to Hussein with his 20.65 6kg PB, while Alessandro Borges of Brazil is the only other returnee from the last U20 worlds, where he was 20th in qualifying. Conference USA champion Michael Kpomassy hit 19.98 to take second at the USATF meet and should challenge for a top six finish. One other Euro to watch is Aristion Papadopoulous of Greece, who has a best of 20.45.

Men's Discus

Carifta Games gold medalist Joseph Salmon of Jamaica has had three meets with throws better than 65 meters this season, leading all entrants with a 67.55 PB with the 1.75kg implement. He is more than four meters up on Estonia's Sten-Erik Iir, his nation's senior champ and owner of a 63.41 PB with the U20 disc. Washington high schooler Simon Roselli had a slew of big throws with the prep platter and had little trouble adapting to the slightly larger U20 discus, going 62.67 for the USATF crown. Three days after his U20 win, he launched the prep discus a PB 68.78 for the Nike title. Oh yeah, he's also undefeated thus far in 2026 with discs of any size. Wisconsin state champ Chris Marcell set his U20 PB of 61.11 to place second at the USATF meet and has thrown 67.25 with the high school implement. 2025 Euro U20 silver medalist Jakub Rodziak of Poland bears watching with a best of 63.28.

Men's Hammer

On paper this looks like a three-way tussle between list leader Jan Delewski of Poland, China's Jiawei Chen, and Alexandros Gamraoui of Cyprus. All three have hurled the hammer past 77 meters this season and are more than two meters clear of the field. Delewski has the best mark at 77.57, seven centimeters ahead of Chen, with Gamraoui at 77.23. USATF champ Kayden Hulet is the sole American representative, but he's a good one. Hulet won the indoor weight throw at the New Balance and Nike indoor meets, and won the Nike outdoor hammer crown two days after capturing the USATF gold with a 72.88 effort.

Men's Javelin

Only one American has ever medaled in this event, a silver for Tzuriel Pedigo in 2018. Nolan Carey hopes to double that total this week. Carey was fourth at the Big 10 Championships for Penn State, spearing a 74.72 PB, and then won the USATF U20 title. He is the only American entered and will go up against list leader Jan-Hendrik Heymans of South Africa, who has a best of 77.14 from winning his national U20 championship. Heymans has not ventured outside South Africa in 2026, so the travel may be telling. Ruslan Sadullayev of Uzbekistan won the Asian U20 gold with a big PB of 75.01, and India's Ashish Yadav is the latest of a new line of top-class jav men from his country, sporting a 74.49 PB.

Men's Decathlon

In an event that has seen tremendous success by Americans at the Olympics and World Championships, it's strange to note that only one U.S. multi-eventer has ever earned a U20 world medal. Gunnar Nixon stood atop the podium in 2012, and that's it. Tennessee high schooler Brody Foster and Darius Jones of Wisconsin are two very capable hands who might just sneak onto the podium in Eugene if they can avoid any glitches. Liam Belo da Silva of Sweden has a big edge on entry marks, leading with 7,981 points, and France's Mael-Bephassou Lannurien is second best at 7,785, but after those two it's wide open. Foster scored 7,604 for the USATF win, and Jones tallied 7,547, so a few points here and there would put them in the frame.

Women's 100 & 200

You're not seeing double. Well, actually, you are. You're seeing double trouble from sprint twins Mia and Mariah Maxwell, who took the top two spots in the 100 and 200 at the USATF U20 meet and have been terrorizing the straightaway all year. Mia was the silver medalist in the  60 at the USATF Indoor Championships in March and then took the U20 100 in 11.08. She added the 200 title in 22.49, a PB by .4 seconds. Mariah has the faster PB in the deuce at 22.44, run at the Tom Jones meet in Florida, and she was third behind Mia in the USATF indoor 60. Their prime target here will be Jamaican star Shanoya Douglas, a silver medalist in the 200 in 2024 and the list leader in both sprints with a 10.98/22.11 combo. Douglas also earned gold in the 4x100 last time around, and she captured the Carifta Games double that included her 200 PB race. LSU's Athaleyha Hinckson of Guyana was the SEC bronze medalist in the indoor 60 and has a 100 PB of 11.10.

Women's 400

North Carolina high schooler Ataja Stephane Vazquezne ran her PB of 51.08 to win the USATF U20 title and she owns the fastest entry time. Vazquezne has sub-23 200 speed, so will be tough to keep up with if she is in top form. The woman who was second behind her at the USATF meet, Clara Adams, hacked more than three tenths off her PB with a 51.61 and is the third fastest entrant. Adams is the California state high school champ. This year's African champ, Ajayeba Aliye of Ethopia, is a newcomer on the international scene and has a very spotty competition record, so could be extremely dangerous to the two Americans. A silver medalist in the 4x400 at the 2025 World Indoors and part of Poland's fourth place relay at this year's World Indoors, Anastazja Kus has a best of 51.64 and brings valuable experience on the world stage.

Women's 800

Slovenia's Ziva Remic won't turn 17 until after the Championships, but don't let her youth fool you. Remic is one of two women with sub-2:00 entry times, leading the list at 1:59.64. She was last year's Euro U20 silver medalist and recently won the Euro U18 crown in Italy. The other sub-2 entry is Ethiopia's Habtam Gebeyehu, who has a best of 1:59.72 set at altitude in Nairobi. She was seventh at the African Champs. USATF U20 champ Paige Sheppard set her PB of 2:00.65 at the Brooks PR meet in June and was ninth at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in New York City. U.S. teammate Ellie Barada will have a big task to make the final here with her PB of 2:02.72.

Women's 1500

A breakthrough season in her freshman year at Florida has put Claire Stegall in position to become only the second American woman to medal in this event. Stegall was the SEC indoor mile silver medalist and took 10th at the NCAA Indoor Champs, and she followed up with a bronze in the SEC outdoor 1500. After winning the USATF U20 gold in a PB 4:04.59, she raced to a fifth place finish at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships. Her PB ranks her No. 2 on the all-time U.S. U20 performer list. At No. 5 on that list is Oregon high schooler Ellery Lincoln, who ran 4:07.06 for eighth at the Pre Classic. Atop the entry list with a 3:59.28 that placed her second at the Rabat Diamond League meet is Ethiopia's Harageweyn Kalayu. Kalayu will be extremely tough to beat with five Diamond League appearances already at age 17. Her countrywoman Elsabet Amare is also in line for a medal with a PB of 4:01.32 and superb endurance.

Women's 3000 & 5000

Charity Cherop of Uganda was the bronze medalist at the World Cross Country Championships and set her 3000 PB of 8:39.22 at the Oslo Diamond League meet. Cherop also owns the fastest entry time in the 5000, a 14:39.38 at the Shaoxing DL meet. Shito Gumi of Ethiopia is the closest to her in both events, running an indoor 8:41.18 in February and clocking 14:49.66 in Belgium in mid-July. Gumi was ninth at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships. One other to watch in the 3000 is Nigist Molla of Ethiopia, who won at Zagreb in June with a PB of 8:44.75. She also cruised to a 31:11 road 10K in March that indicates she has a big engine. Chiara Dailey is the lone American in the 3000 with a PB of 9:11.66 from the Brooks PR meet en route to a world-leading two mile time of 9:49.57. USATF U20 runner-up Emily Wisniewski of NC State notched a PB of 15:54.39 at that meet and is the sole U.S. rep here.

Women's 3000 Steeplechase

Kenya's Mercy Chepngeno was the silver medalist at the African Championships, where she set her PB of 9:30.47 to lead the entry list. She was also 14th in the Doha Diamond League 5000 at 15:30.00. Her teammate, Anatasha Cheptoo, was third at the Kenyan Championships in a PB of 9:33.80 to give the country a strong 1-2 punch here in an event that has been a Kenyan stronghold with nine of 11 possible golds since the event was introduced in 2004. African Champs bronze medalist Almaz Yohannis of Ethiopia is sandwiched between the two Kenyans at 9:33.46. Sierra Wall of Colorado School of Mines won the USATF U20 crown in a PB 10:08.30 after taking silver at the NCAA Division II Championships, and Oklahoma State's Bella Nelson has a best of 10:15.34. The U.S. duo will be seeking a top eight finish in an event where the highest ever American was fifth in 2012.

Women's 100 Hurdles

Georgia's Maddi Cooper was sixth in the NCAA indoor 60H before knocking out three sub-13 second efforts in the 100H, topped by a 12.91 PB to take the USATF U20 victory. She is the No. 10 all-time U.S. U20 performer and will be challenged by South Africa's Tumi Ramokgopa and Jil Sanchez of Switzerland. Ramokgopa's PB of 12.93 was run at altitude and she has never come close at sea level, so her true ability is a bit of a mystery. Sanchez won the Euro U20 title last year and has a best of 12.96 but has only been sub-13 one time in her career. Rounding back into form after setting a PB of 12.97 in March, Jamaica's Tiana Marshall is at the end of a lengthy season. USATF U20 runner-up Tori Goodson was fourth at the ACC Championships for North Carolina and significantly cut her PB to 13.15 at the USATF meet.

Women's 400 Hurdles

Ramokgopa makes another appearance at the top of the entry list here with a season best of 56.05 and a PB of 55.90 from last year. Both marks were at altitude, again, so take them for what they're worth. Reigning Euro U20 champ Alexandra Stefania Uta of Romania has the fastest PB in the field at 55.55 and has run 56.09 this season, while USATF champ Natalie Dumas is a superb all-arounder who has a best of 55.99 last year to go with a 400 PB of 51.14 and an 800 best of 2:00.11. Ohio State's Tatum Lynn is also a medal threat with a PB of 56.57 from the NCAA East meet. She was fifth at the Big 10 Championships. One other South African, Megan Nieman, could sneak onto the podium if she can repeat her 56.54 PB from March.

Women's 5000 Race Walk

The silver medalist in the 10,000 walk at the 2025 Euro U20 meet, Italy's Serena Di Fabio is a clear favorite here at half the distance as she leads all entrants at 20:42.74. Di Fabio won the U20 division at the prestigious Podebrady meet in May after a silver medal at the World Cup in Brazil. France's Chloe Le Roch, eighth at this meet in 2024, was fourth at the World Cup and has a best of 21:41.80 for 5000. Zoe Woods of Australia will also be in the medal chase with a best of 22:10.69. Grace Wagener was the USATF champ and has a PB of 24:53.95. Wagener was also fourth at the German U20 Champs.

Women's High Jump

The silver medalist and fourth place finisher from 2024 return and are among the medal favorites again. Australia's Izobelle Louison-Roe was the runner-up last time and has improved to 1.95 in 2026, a height she has cleared twice, but hasn't competed since May. Lilianna Batori of Hungary was fourth in '24 and has upped her indoor PB to 1.93 while also improving outdoors to 1.92. Batori was the 2025 Euro U20 champ and recently won the Hungarian senior championships title. Winner of the Asian U20 title, India's Pooja Singh set a national record with her 1.93 clearance at that meet. Singh was the Asian champion in 2025. Bailey Hensgens (1.86 PB) won the Nike indoor and outdoor titles in addition to her USATF U20 gold, while Oklahoma's Brianna Rivers has cleared 1.81 and will need dramatic improvement to make the top 10 here.

Women's Pole Vault

Czechia U20 and open champ Nicole Krutilova sits atop the entry list with the 4.52 PB she set in early July, but most of her other meets were in the 4.40 and below range. Krutilova was seventh in 2024, so at least she has some experience at this level. Similarly, South Africa's Ansume De Beer, the African champion, has one great meet, a 4.50 PB at the end of June, preceded by many clearances at 4.30 or lower. France's Moana Peyrard has a PB of 4.46 and a 4.45 to back that up, while Team USATF's Kylie Neira (4.25) and Katie Blue (4.28i PB) will need to make a couple higher bars to be in the medal chase.

Women's Long Jump

USATF 1-2 finishers Abby Mecklenburg and Parker Coes are right in the mix for medals in a field heavily populated at the top end by jumpers in the 6.40-6.50 range. Mecklenburg won the USATF crown with a PB leap of 6.41, one centimeter ahead of Coes, and was ninth at the USATF Indoor Champs. Coes, who won the Nike indoor title and finished second outdoors, has an indoor PB of 6.48 and won't turn 17 until December. Oluchi Abelwe Ndubueze had a 6.49 at altitude with a +1.9 aiding wind to top the entry list, with Brooklyn Lyttle of Belize one centimeter behind her at 6.48. Lyttle is a high schooler in Maryland and won the New Balance outdoor meet. Other challengers include Hungary's Bori Rozsahegyi, the 2025 Euro U20 champ, and Kristyna Zahorova of Czechia, recently crowned the Euro U18 victor.

Women's Triple Jump

Euro U18 champion Viktoria Angelova of Bulgaria uncorked a massive 13.98 two weeks ago to win that title in what appears to be her debut year in the event. She will need to do it again to stave off the challenge from Latvia's Brenda Dziliana Apsite, who has gone 13.90 and won the 2024 Euro U18 gold. After that duo, the quality drops off to Germany's Antonia Bronnert, fifth at the 2025 Euro U20 meet and possessor of a 13.65 PB. USATF U20 1-2 finishers D'Anna Cotton and Shi'eana Hall will have a primary goal of making the final and new PBs would be a nice touch. North Carolina high schooler Cotton set her lifetime best two years ago with a 13.36 leap, a distance matched by Hall in May when she placed sixth at the Big 12 Championships for Houston.

Women's Shot Put

Anhelina Shepel of Ukraine and Belsy Jenniffer Quinonez of Ecuador are the only returning finalists, but this event has plenty of quality. Quinonez, who was 11th in 2024, has the second best entry mark at 17.75, with Shepel coming in at 16.12. The leading entrant is former American Jessica Oji, who changed her allegiance to Nigeria in February. Oji won the Ivy League indoor crown for Penn with an 18.50 that leads the 2026 U20 world list and was seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She completed the Ivy shot double outdoors and was fourth at the NCAA meet, adding Commonwealth Games silver last week. Belgium's Nafy Thiam (not that one) competes for Florida State and was third at the ACC Championships. She has a PB of 17.30. California high school champion Jaslene Massey is a double threat in the shot and discus and won both at the USATF U20 meet. Massey set her PB of 16.88 to win the USATF gold and added Nike bragging rights the next day. Boise State's Addy McArthur is the other U.S. entrant and set her PB of 15.35 at the USATF meet.

Women's Discus

Massey's best event is the discus, and she moved to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. performer list with her 60.27 to win the USATF U20 gold. She has thrown in about a gillion meets this season (25 to be exact) so should be well-prepared. LSU's Jillian Scully has a best of 57.25 and has great upside potential with superior physicality. She is primed for a breakthrough performance and if she is on, the U.S. could pick up two medals for the first time ever. China's Yixin Su has the second best entry mark at 59.44 but hasn't competed outside her home nation yet this year, and Cuba has a pair of strong contenders in Neilyn C. De La Rodriguez and Liaris C. Sotolongo. The duo have PBs of 58.45 and 58.44.

Women's Hammer

Last year's Euro U20 bronze medalist, Pinja Karha of Finland, is the only woman to have surpassed 70 meters, leading the entries at 70.73. That mark ranks her sixth on the all-time world U20 performer list. Nipping at her heels in 10th on that list is Germany's Clara Hegemann, who was fifth behind Karha at the Euro meet last year and has thrown 69.81. Hopes for the third U.S. medal in meet history rest upon Burklie Burton of Oklahoma State, the Big 12 champion and No. 2 on the all-time U.S. U20 performer list. Kentucky's Meagan Ewers set her PB of 61.93 to take the silver at the USATF U20 meet, and she was 10th at the SEC Championships. Asian U20 champ Jiajun Chen of China is a medal contender with a best of 67.42 that placed her fifth in the senior Chinese championships.

Women's Javelin

It would have been nice to see the brightest new star on the world javelin scene, China's Ziyi Yan, but she has much greater aspirations and leads the overall global list with a world U20 record throw of 71.74. In her absence, the mantel of favorite falls upon two women – 2024 fourth placer Vita Barbic of Croatia and Egypt's Aseel Osama Abdel Hamid. Hamid has the best PB at 60.97, with Barbic not far behind at 60.71. Auburn's Sophia Mazzoni and USATF U20 champ Emily Harbach of Rice are two rising American stars who have a chance to add to the two bronzes U.S. throwers have earned at this meet. Mazzoni moved to No. 2 on the all-time U.S. U20 list with a 56.51 at the NCAA East meet, and Harbach's 56.47 for No. 3 on that list was thrown at the  American Conference meet for silver. Asian U20 gold medalist Tai Yu-Chin is a solid contender with her 56.91 in May.

Women's Heptathlon

Enni Virjonen of Finland was the Euro U20 bronze medalist last year and leads all entrants with a score of 6,189 points. She was 13th at Götzis and eighth at Ratingen, the two major non-championship meets of the year. Estonia's Mia Mireia Uusorg, the Baltic U20 winner, is the only other entrant above 6,000, coming in with a PB of 6,099. Also in with a medal chance is Portugal's Natacha Cande, who has scored 5,914 in '26. Texas high schooler Chiora Enyinna-Okeigbo tallied a PB of 5,452 for the USATF title, and Destiny Look notched her PB of 5,330 to finish second. The U.S. has never won a medal in this event.