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Strong Showdowns Set in Women's Jumps at USATF Outdoor Championships

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Jun 23rd 2015, 9:59pm
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Pole Vaulters Ready to Soar in Eugene

By Scott Bush

It's a battle of "old" versus "young" in the women's pole vault, as Olympian Jenn Suhr hopes to hold off high-flying college sensations Sandi Moore and Demi Payne in the pole vault...and that's just one of the battles in the women's jumps at the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships. 

Jumps

Pole Vault

One of the most anticipated events at the USAT Outdoor Track and Field Championships features a nice mix of the “old guard” and “new guard.” The old guard being established international stars Jenn Suhr and Mary Saxer, the new guard being collegiate phenoms Demi Payne and Sandi Morris. All four currently ranking in the top ten in the world.

Suhr has had a quiet start to her 2015 campaign. While she owns the world leading mark of 4.81m from a small contest in New York, she’s run a relatively modest season thus far.

Much the opposite, Payne and Morris are coming off long collegiate seasons. Morris ranks fifth in the world with her collegiate record mark of 4.72m, while Payne owns the sixth best mark in the world and holds three of the top 12 best performances worldwide in 2015 outdoor season. Payne narrowly nipped Morris for the NCAA Outdoor title and expect both to really push Suhr for the national crown.

For Saxer, while she doesn’t have the seasonal accolades of any of the top three just yet, she’s been in this position before and come out on top. Her seasonal best of 4.62m is plenty strong and she earned a nice runner-up performance at the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham earlier in the year.

The top four vaulters are going to be fun to watch.

Long Jump

Tianna Bartoletta takes on double duty this weekend in Eugene, as she seeks to make Team USA in both the 100m and the long jump. While she seldom races the 100m (only a few times a season), she has made her name the past two years in the long jump. Her 2015 season currently holds her with the world’s best mark after her 16.99m performance was good for the title at the Diamond League meeting in Doha. She finished runner-up in the event in 2014 and seeks to jump a spot higher this time around.

Bartoletta lost to Olympic medalist Brittney Reese last year. While Reese hasn’t necessarily as consistent over the past two years as she would like, she still puts herself in contention to win when it matters most. She heads to Eugene with a world #8 seasonal best of 6.83m.

Bartoletta and Reese will have plenty of competition up top, including two collegiate athletes coming off extremely successful NCAA seasons. Reigning NCAA champion Quanesha Burks, who just finished her sophomore year at Alabama, won the NCAA title with a personal best of 6.84m, which ranks her #7 in the world, while Oregon’s Jenna Pardini placed second in 6.80m, which ranks her tenth in the world.

Add in Funmi Jimoh, who finished third in 2014 at the USATF Outdoor Championships, Shakeelah Saunders and Chelsea Hayes and this field has plenty of drama to follow.

Triple Jump

Defending champion Amanda Smock seeks yet another U.S. crown in 2015, but she’s far from a commanding favorite this year. Smock has a seasonal best of 13.87m, and while that ranks her extremely well in the United States, she still sits behind NCAA champion Kenturah Orji.

Orji is one of the more intriguing athletes to watch in Eugene. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the freshman from Georgia leapt a U.S.-leading 14.15 best, which ranks her top twenty in the world. While Americans haven’t been as historically as dominant in the triple jump as some of the other field events, Orji is a rising star fans should get used to seeing.

2014 runner-up Ciarra Brewer is entered as well and hopes to challenge for a top three finish.

High Jump

With Olympian Brigetta Barrett out due to injury and prep phenom Vashti Cunningham focusing on World Youth action, the depth in the women’s high jump is a bit lacking, but a couple successful Olympic veterans should make it a fun contest to watch.

Chaunte Lowe seeks another national crown, holding the second best high jump mark in the United States this season with her 1.91m performance. Cunningham has the best mark with her 1.94m high school national record. Lowe is simply amazing to watch, gliding over the bar effortlessly, an athlete used to being a pre-event favorite.

The other veteran is Amy Acuff. The former national champion continues her comeback story this weekend and has seemed to work her way back into title contention over the past few weeks.

Lowe and Acuff take on a nice group of younger talents, meaning don’t be surprised to see an athlete or two rise to challenge for the win.



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