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≡ LONE STAR GRAND PRIX ≡
USA Track & Field staged its first meet at Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas on Saturday with the 20-event USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in hot, 88 F conditions and 68% humidity. That meant good conditions for sprinters and one was really ready.
The women’s 200 m had Paris Olympic champ Gabby Thomas in seven, and after fellow American Cambria Sturgis started well, Thomas flew down the backstraight and won by more than 2 m in a world-leading 21.70 (wind: +0.7 m/s). U.S. nationals runner-up Kayla White moved up for second in 22.07 and Favour Ofili (NGR: 22.15) and Sturgis fourth in 22.16. It’s Thomas’ third win in the 200 m this year after two victories in Africa in April and her third-fastest ever!
The men’s 200 saw San Antonio Harlan high school star Tate Taylor run hard on the turn and take the lead into the straight, then was passed by Zimbabwe’s Maka Charamba, who won in a lifetime best of 19.88 (+0.1), equal-sixth in the world this season. Taylor stayed close in second in a lifetime best of 19.97, the first U.S. prep to break 20 seconds! Canadian veteran Aaron Brown got third (20.11); 2022 400 m World Champion Michael Norman was sixth in 20.40.
Taylor lowered his own 200 m high school record from 20.05 from April at the Tom Jones Invitational and is now equal-sixth on the all-time World Junior list.
World men’s 100 m champ Oblique Seville (JAM) was running his second dash of the year, but two-time Worlds bronze medalist Trayvon Bromell of the U.S. got to the lead by 10 m and stayed there, winning in a wind-aided 9.85 (+3.8 m/s)! Canadian star Andre De Grasse emerged for second in 9.91, with Seville also in 9.91.
Paris Olympic 400 m champ Quincy Hall of the U.S. was in lane six, but not yet fully recovered from injury and finished seventh in 45.51. Bryce Deadmon, the 2023 U.S. champ, moved well in the first 200 m, but 2025 World Indoor winner Chris Bailey rolled into the straight and broke away in the final 50 m to win in 44.35, no. 13 in the world this year. Deadmon was second in 44.74, then Elija Godwin of the U.S. in 45.00.
Jamaica’s 2023 Pan Am Games medalist Navasky Anderson took the lead in the men’s 800 m at the bell and extended his lead off the final turn and won in 1:46.33. Mexico’s Abraham Alvarado ran into second in the final 40 m at 1:46.75, ahead of American Sean Dolan (1:46.90).
A new U.S. star in the 110 m hurdles? Houston All-American Jamar Marshall ran away from the field in the final four hurdles and stormed to a big lifetime best of 13.04 (+0.5), equal-second on the 2026 world list. Fellow American De’Vion Wilson was second in 13.24 and Connor Schulman got a lifetime best of 13.29 in third.
The men’s 400 m hurdles was a brawl between 2022 Worlds bronzer Trevor Bassitt and ex-NCAA champs Caleb Dean of the U.S. and Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR), with Nathaniel coming hard to the line to win in 47.37. Bassitt also pushed hard on the run-in for second in the same time – actually, 2/1,000ths shower – and a lifetime best, and Dean was third in 47.42. They’re now 3-4-5 on the 2026 world list. Bassitt is now also no. 10 all-time U.S.
Two-time NCAA champ Romaine Beckford (JAM) was the survivor in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.25 m (7-4 1/2) to outdistance Vernon Turner of the U.S. (2.22 m/7-3 1/4).
Seven men cleared 5.60 m (18-4 1/2) in the men’s vault, and at 5.70 m (18-8 1/4), with Tokyo 2021 silver medalist Chris Nilsen and Olen Tray Oates, fifth at the 2026 U.S. Indoors, clearing on their first attempts. Cole Walsh and Clayton Sims also cleared, so the bar went to 5.80 m (19-0 1/4) and Nilsen was over on his second attempt and no one else could clear. Oates ended up second on misses and Walsh third.
Worlds bronze winner Curtis Thompson continued his hot javelin throwing, getting out to 84.88 m (278-6) in the first round and was unchallenged. He didn’t improve, but it was his sixth best throw ever! Sindri Gudmundsson (ISL) was a decisive second at 78.31 m (256-11).
Jamaican teen Sabrina Dockery pulled away from the field late in the women’s 100 m, winning in 10.92 (+1.6) for a lifetime best. At 19, she lowered her best from 11.08 in 2025 to 10.92, now equal-8th in 2026! Canada’s Audrey Leduc moved up for second in 10.97 and Jodean Williams (JAM: 10.97 lifetime best) in third.
The girls high school 100 was fast, as Atascocita High star Mia Maxwell (Humble, Texas) ran away from the field and won easily in 11.01w (+2.6), way ahead of Sanyah Keeton (Duncanville HS: 11.39).
Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo took charge of the women’s 400 m into the final curve and ran away from Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams, 49.47 to 49.80, for a personal best and now no. 2 on the 2026 world list. American Alexis Holmes got a seasonal best of 50.42 in third.
Shafiqua Maloney (VIN) led at the bell in the women’s 800 m and was 2 m up coming into the home straight and ran alone to the line in 1:57.34, no. 5 on the 2026 world list! Jamaica’s Kelly-Ann Beckford was second in 1:58.46 (lifetime best) and Victoria Bossong (USA: 1:58.52 lifetime best).
The women’s 100 m hurdles was tight over five hurdles, then Jamaican Demisha Roswell emerged in lane two and got to the line in 12.53 (+1.3 m/s), ahead of 2025 World Indoor bronzer Ackera Nugent (12.61) and Rayniah Jones of the U.S. (12.62).
Kemi Adekoya (BRN) built a lead in the middle of the women’s 400 m hurdles and held on over the run-in to win in 53.71. Two-time World silver winner Shamier Little of the U.S. challenged on the straight, but was passed on the run-in by Ashley Miller (ZIM), 54.08 to 54.15.
Olympic women’s hammer champ – and world leader – Cam Rogers (CAN) won her specialty with a third-round toss of 79.36 m (260-4), barely ahead of world no. 2, American Rachel Richeson, who got a lifetime best of 79.33 m (260-3) in the fourth. Richeson remains no. 6 on the all-time list. China’s ‘25 Worlds silver medalist Jie Zhao was third at 76.25 m (250-2).
The amazing stadium on the Texas A&M campus opened in 2019 and seats 2,200; the stands were less than half full, so maybe 1,000 or so attended, under threatening skies.
The meet offered $210,000 in prize money with 10 “core events” paying $15,000 each: $5,000-3,000-2,000-1,400-1,200-1,000-800-600. The remaining six “added events” paid $10,000 each: $3,500-2,000-1,400-1,000-800-600-400-300. No prizes were allocated for the high school 100 m races or the Paralympic 100 m races.
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