Americans secure nine gold medals, including a pair of meet records

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

A national high school record in the girls shot put.

The second prep male runner ever to break 45 seconds in the 400-meter dash.

And the third-highest outdoor pole vault clearance ever by an American U20 performer.

That was only the first day’s highlights of the Pan American U20 Championships at “CHAN CHAN” Athletics Stadium in Trujillo, Peru.

Americans captured 20 medals, including nine golds, with several record-setting performances Friday, led by Monsignor Donovan NJ graduate Alyssa Wilson surpassing her own national prep shot put record to win with a third-round effort of 58 feet, 1 inch (17.70m).

Wilson, who captured the World U20 bronze medal last year in Poland, had set the outdoor record May 13 with a 57-1.25 (17.40m) at the Ocean County Championships. The UCLA signee produced the national prep indoor record of 57-5.50 (17.51m) on Feb. 28 at the Eastern States Championships.

Wilson’s performance was No. 2 in meet history behind the 2015 winning effort of 59-11.25 (18.27m) by Ole Miss star Raven Saunders. Wilson also became the second-best American U20 performer in history, with Saunders boasting the record at 60-2.50 (18.35m).

Wilson secured the third consecutive women’s shot put gold medal for the Americans and 13th in meet history. Arizona State freshman Samantha Noening, who edged Wilson for the U.S. Junior title June 23 in Sacramento, captured the bronze medal with a fourth-round mark of 51-4.50 (15.66m).

Jamal Walton, a Miramar FL junior competing for Cayman Islands, not only became the first male athlete to repeat as champion in the 400 meters, but eclipsed the 45-second barrier for the first time in his career by breaking the meet record in 44.99. Americans Josephus Lyles, an adidas professional, and USC signee Zach Shinnick, a Damien CA graduate, earned silver and bronze in 45.30 and 45.98.

Walton, who won in Canada two years ago in 46.09, is only the second prep competitor to run under 45 seconds and the first since American Darrell Robinson clocked 44.69 to set the national high school record in 1982. He broke the 1995 meet record of 45.14 set by American Obea Moore and elevated to the No. 17 all-time World U20 performer.

Anaheim Canyon CA graduate Rachel Baxter, competing for the U.S. in her third international meet in as many years, needed a third-attempt clearance at 14-5.50 (4.41m) to not only improve on her state record, but vault equal to the No. 3 all-time American U20 performer.

Baxter surpassed the 2013 meet record of 14-5.25 (4.40m) shared by Canada’s Alysha Newman and Venezuela’s Robeilys Peinado to move into a tie for the No. 21 World U20 performer in history with Oklahoma University’s Mackenzie Shell. Only Arkansas vaulters Lexi Weeks and Desiree Freier rank ahead of Baxter on the American high school and U20 all-time lists.

Mary Persons GA graduate Carson Dingler, a Stephen F. Austin signee and teammate of Baxter on all three U.S. rosters, took silver by clearing 13-9.25 (4.20m), giving the Americans their first sweep since 2011 and fifth in meet history.

Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Khalifa St. Fort became the first athlete, male or female, in meet history to repeat as 100-meter dash champion. St. Fort clocked 11.32 after winning in Canada in 2015 in 11.31. Clemson freshman Rebekah Smith and Miami (Florida) signee Symone Mason, a Miami Southridge graduate, took silver and bronze for the Americans in 11.55 and 11.62.

George Walton Comprehensive GA standout Tia Jones set meet and national sophomore records by winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 13.01 seconds, edging fellow American Tara Davis (13.05), an Agoura CA graduate, in a rematch of their June 23 showdown at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, won by Davis 13.01 to 13.02.

Jones, who secured the bronze medal at last year’s World U20 Championships in Poland, lowered the 2007 meet record of 13.02 set by fellow American Kristi Castlin, the Olympic bronze medalist in Rio de Janeiro.

Davis, a Georgia signee, rebounded less than an hour later to win the long jump with a wind-aided 21-4.25 (6.51m), the best mark under all conditions in meet history, ahead of the 21-2.50 (6.46m) from Cuba’s Yudelkis Fernandez in 2003. It was the second international long jump gold medal for Davis, along with the 2015 World U18 title in Colombia.

Missouri freshman Ja’Mari Ward won the men’s long jump for the Americans with a wind-aided leap in the second round of 25-6 (7.77m). Ward and Davis helped the U.S. sweep long jump championships for the first time since 1989 and fourth occasion in meet history.

Houston Langham Creek TX junior Eric Edwards Jr. won the men’s 110-meter hurdles for the U.S. in 13.33, with Oregon signee Joseph Anderson, an Upland CA graduate, securing bronze in 13.46. Edwards and Jones helped the American sweep the hurdles titles for the second consecutive meet and 10th time in Pan American U20 history.

USC freshman TJ Brock prevailed in the men’s 100-meter dash in 10.45, becoming the first American since 2011 to capture the gold and the 11th in meet history.

Arkansas freshman Taylor Werner ran the No. 2 time in meet history to win the women’s 3,000 in 9:16.12, just off the 1989 performance of 9:16.05 by fellow American Lisa Harvey. Werner became the 10th all-time U.S. champion in the event.

Sam Houston State freshman Joshua Hernandez captured the first gold medal of the meet for the Americans in the men’s hammer throw, with a fifth-round effort of 238 feet (72.55m). Hernandez became the sixth U.S. athlete to win the men’s hammer title.

Cuba’s Roxana Gomez Calderon set the meet record in the women’s 400 to capture gold in 51.46, lowering the 2007 standard of 51.72 set by Jamaica’s Bobby-Gaye Wilkins. Texas A&M freshman Jaevin Reed earned silver in 51.71, also better than Wilkins’ previous record, and USC freshman Kyra Constantine – representing Canada – secured bronze in 52.63.

Chile’s Claudio Romero secured his country’s first gold medal in the men’s discus throw with a fifth-round effort of 203-8 (62.09m). Arizona signee Turner Washington, a Canyon del Oro AZ graduate, took silver for the Americans with a second-round throw of 201-1 (61.30m).

Ecuador’s Yuleixi Angulo captured the first women’s javelin gold medal for her country with a third-round throw of 171-7 (52.30m). Duke freshman Katelyn Gochenour took bronze for the U.S. with a first-round effort of 165-10 (50.56m).

Colombia’s Carlos Hernandez Samaca became his country’s first champion in the men’s 5,000 in 14:53.93.

Ecuador’s Alexander Hurtado Espinosa won the first gold medal of the meet, prevailing in the 10,000-meter race walk in 40:37.64.