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≡ USATF INDOOR NATIONALS ≡
The USA Track & Field Indoor National Championships – first held in New York in 1906 – got going on Saturday in Staten Island, New York, also selecting the American team for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
Paris 2024 Olympic 100 m champ Noah Lyles was running the 60 m for the first time this season in the Nationals, but had to deal with world leader Jordan Anthony. In the heats, Anthony won race one in 6.51, ahead of Lawrence Johnson (6.57). Lyles had to come from well behind in heat two, winning in 6.56, with Max Thomas in the same time. Trayvon Bromell, who won the 2016 World Indoors 60 m, dominated heat three, winning in 6.49, equal-5th in the world this season.
In the final, Bromell was in lane three, Lyles was in four and Anthony in five. Bromell was out strongly, but Anthony came on in the middle of the race and caught Bromell at the line. Anthony ran 6.45 with Bromell at 6.47, and Lyles at 6.51 in third.
Lyles gifted Anthony with a Pure Athletics championship belt for winning the title. Anthony and Bromell will head to Poland for the World Indoors; Lyles had said that even if he won, he would not be competing there.
The women’s 60 m heats saw hurdles winner Alia Armstrong win the first race in 7.18, then world no. 4 Jacious Sears, last year’s runner-up, won heat two easily in 7.05. Right behind her was Mia Maxwell of Atascocoita High School in Humble, Texas in 7.16!
In the final, Maxwell was out well, but Sears took over and won cleanly at 7.04 for her first national title. Behind her were the Maxwell twins, Mia and Mariah, in 7.13 and 7.14, both lifetime bests. Mia equaled the high school indoor mark of 7.13 by Lisa Raye (West Warwick in Rhode Island) from 2025.
Sears is coming on. She ran 10.77 at Tennessee in 2024 and got hurt, then returned to run 10.85 in 2025, but was only sixth at the USATF Nationals outdoors, but still ran on the U.S. relay prelims team at the Worlds. This could be a big year for her.
Lots of other action on a heavy final day:
● Men/400 m: In the first of the two sections, Elija Godwin got to the lead at the bell, but Jevon O’Bryant zoomed past on the second lap and won going away in 46.41 over Steven McElroy (46.65) with Godwin third (47.47).
Section two had new world-record man Khaleb McRae and he took the pole and led at the bell in 21.28. McRae kept pushing and won clearly over Chris Robinson, 45.01 to 45.36 and they finished 1-2 overall. T.J. Tomlyanovich (45.77) and Demarius Smith (45.89) went 3-4 and look to be on the relay in Poland.
● Men/800 m: Prep star Cooper Lutkenhaus came in as no. 3 in the world this season at 1:44.03 and he had the lead by 400 m in 53.18. Sean Dolan came up to challenge at the bell, but Lutkenhaus – 17 – pulled away around the final bend and won easily in 1:46.68. He was clearly in charge and ran masterfully. Dolan got second in 1:47.16, with Isaiah Harris third in 1:47.22.
It’s Lutkenhaus’ first U.S. title, but it won’t be his last. He said that his high school spring break period coincides with the World Indoors, so he expects to be in Poland.
● Men/1,500 m: Paris Olympic 1,500 m champ Cole Hocker was looking for a 1,500-3,000 m double, and he had the lead at 400 m at 58.43. Paris Olympic bronze winner Yared Nuguse took over at 800 m in 1:59.57, with Hocker close.
Luke Houser, the 2025 World Indoor bronzer, took the lead at 1,000 m and Hocker was sixth at the bell, with a lot of traffic. Houser pulled the field apart and was followed by Vince Ciattei and Nathan Green, the two-time NCAA champion from Washington.
Green got close and surged at the finish and won with a final lunge, 3:37.65 to 3:37.67 over Houser, with Ciattei third in 3:37.73. Nuguse was fourth (3:38.06) and Hocker was fifth (3:38.08).
● Men/High Jump: Last year’s runner-up, Eli Kosiba was the only one to clear 2.24 m (7-4 1/4) and wound up the winner for his first U.S. indoor title. Caleb Snowden and Kason O’Reilly finished 2-3, both clearing 2.21 m (7-3).
● Men/Long Jump: Jeremiah Davis had the early lead at 7.89 m (25-10 3/4), but Steffin McCarter took over in round four at 8.10 m (26-7), with Davis improving to 8.03 m (26-4 1/4) in round two and then 8.08 m (26-6 1/4).
McCarter, fifth at the 2022 World Championships but hampered by injuries since, got his first U.S. title. Cordell Tinch, the World 110 m hurdles champ, did some long jumping this season and finished sixth at 7.81 m (25-7 1/2).
● Men/Shot: Jordan Geist had the early lead at 21.72 m (71-3 1/4) from round one, but Roger Steen took over in round four, reaching 21.81 m (71-6 3/4). Steen did not imrpove and Geist had the final chance, but Geist fouled and Steen won his first U.S. Indoor gold. He will be out to move up from his Worlds silver in 2025.
Geist won the World Indoor Tour title and has a direct entry into the World Indoors, so Josh Awotunde, the 2025 USATF outdoor champ, can go to Poland as the third-placer at 21.06 m (69-1 3/4).
● Women/400 m: This was a two-section final, with Bailey Lear – fourth last year – holding off Shamier Little to win the first race, 51.60 to 51.78. Rosey Effiong had a slight lead at the bell in section two over qualifying leader Paris Peoples. Those two raced to the finish and Effiong got her first USATF title at the line, 51.53 to 51.65.
Effiong, sixth in the World Indoors last year, won the combined sections title at 51.53, with Lear second at 51.60. Little and Peoples will also be on the way to the World Indoors for relays.
● Women/800 m: Olivia Baker led at 400 m in 58.19 and then Addy Wiley took the lead at the bell and then had another gear into the final straight and won decisively in 1:59.43 for her first U.S. indoor title. A former NAIA champ at Huntington University, she’s on the way to her second World Indoors, also in 2024.
The fight for second was won by Valery Tobias in 1:59.77, ahead of Meghan Hunter (2:00.03). Tobias was second for the second straight year.
● Women/1,500 m: The race started slowly, and by 800 m, Gracie Morris – sixth last year – was in front at 2:23.12, with everyone bunched up. Sinclaire Johnson had the lead by 1,000 m, with defending champ Nikki Hiltz close. Lindsay Butler, the 2022 NCAA Indoor champ, took over and pulled the field apart, with Hiltz close at the bell, and Johnson closing.
Butler was rolling with 100 m to go, then Hiltz came through on the outside to win in 4:11.34. Morris came inside of Butler to get second in 4:11.39 to 4:11.52 and Johnson fourth at 4:11.59. It was Hiltz’s fourth straight U.S. Indoor title, the most consecutive wins ever.
● Women/Vault: Three got over 4.50 m (14-9), as Jessica Mercier cleared on her first trial, 2024 NCAA champ Chloe Timberg on her second and Emily Grove on her third. Gabriela Leon passed and all four cleared at 4.55 m (14-11), so the bar went up to 4.60 m (15-1).
Timberg got over right away, , but no one else could and she was the winner. But she needed 4.70 m (15-5) to get the World Indoor qualifying standard and made it on her second try!
● Women/Triple Jump: Olympic bronzer Jasmine Moore reached 13.89 m (45-7) in the second round, with Kayla Woods second with 13.50 m (44-3 1/2) in round four. The places didn’t change and neither improved, although Ryann Porter also jumped 13.50 m on her final try, but ended up third on her second-best jump.
● Women/Weight: A clear win for Jalani Davis, no. 2 on the world list for 2026, reaching 24.84 m (81-6) on her second throw. She moved up from third in 2025. Elisia Lancaster finished second at 22.78 m (74-9).
The top two finishers will be selected for the U.S. World Indoor Championships team if they wish to go and have met the entry standard.
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