National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

Mayaguez, Puerto Rico - The 21st  Annual Pan American U20 Track and Field Championships are being held at the Jose A. Figueroa Freire Stadium from Friday August 4- Sunday, August 6.

Full results will be posted here  with live stream available for all sessions found here.

Below is the recap of the Day 2 evening session. Photos by Joy Kamani.

Discus Final – Men

Seth Allen (PURDUE, New Manchester, Douglasville, GA), a Big 10 finalist, coming in with a best of 197-11, essentially won the event on his first throw, a personal best of 198-09. He also threw 198-07 on his final attempt.

Brendon See (J Serra Catholic, San Juan Capistrano, CA), the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals bronze medalist, secured second place on his 4th throw, scaling the discus 191-04, very close to his 192-06 personal best.

Shaiquan Dunn (JAMAICA) was a close third at 190-10. Nathan Villegas Reyes (PUERTO RICO), the 2023 Penn Relays Champion, was
fourth (184-03)

110m Hurdles Prelims – Men

Blaise Atkinson (NORTH CAROLINA; Lake Norman Charter, Huntersville, NC), 5 th in the 2019 New Balance Nationals Outdoor Freshman 400m, won in 13.46 (+0.6) in an event that was postponed for an hour due to rain. Second was Daniel Beckford (Jamaica, 13.52) with Nathaniel Rayan (Scotch-Plains-Fanwood, Scotch Plains, NJ), the 2023 Nike Indoor Nationals 60m Hurdles runner up, third in 13.55.

There was a protest in the race and three runners ran a second race later in the day. As a result of that race, Miles Ganjean (HAITI; Evanston Township,
IL) the 2023 Illinois state champion, noved into 4th place.

100m Hurdles Prelims – Women

Aaliyah McCormick (OREGON; Scripps Ranch, San Diego, CA), the US U20 leader and Pac 12 Runner up was the prohibitive favorite being the US U20 (12.85) and the only athlete in the field to have run under 13 seconds. However, she misjudged her steps to the first hurdle and to the second. She was too late at that point to recover and she wound up in 5th place (14.35, -0.7).

Myla Green (Bullis, Potomac, MD), the USATF U20 runnerup passed Jamaican Asharria Ulett at the 9th hurdle to edge her 13.70 to 13.76. Third was Brazilian Lays Rodrigues Silva in 13.94.

1500m Final – Men

The two Americans, Tayson Echohawk (Orem, UT), who placed 15th in the mile at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals and Marcus Reilly (Northbridge, MA), the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals Freshman Mile champion, were never really in the lead pack throughout the race. Reilly was 5th
(3:53.86) and Echohawk 7th (3:54.99). Riley Flemington (CANADA/U of Michigan), 9th in the 2023 Big 10 Champs was the winner, running 3:50.70.

It should be noted that the USATF U20 champion, Rheinhardt Harrision (OREGON; Nease, Ponte Verde, FL) and third placer Evan
Thornton Sherman (U of MAINE; St. Johnsbury Academy, St. Johnsbury, VT) opted not to compete at this meet.

High Jump Final - Women

This was another event delayed by rain. There were only 3 competitors, with the winner Jennessa Wolfe (CANADA) at 5-7.25. Second was Kya Crooke (Heritage, Indianapolis, IN), the 2023 Nike Indoor Nationals champion (5-6), with Lauren Ann Barnes (U of CINCINNATI, Sycamore, Cincinnati, OH) third (5-5). JaiCieonna Gero-Holt (Emerald Ridge, Puyallup, WA), the USATF U20 Champion, opted to compete only in the heptathlon at this event.

Long Jump Final – Men

Juriad Hughes (Irondale, New Brighton, MN), the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals champion, secured the win on his first attempt, jumping 24-11.75 (0.1) for a new personal best. His last jump also exceeded his prior personal best with 24-11.25 (-0.1).

Royan Walters (Jamaica) was second at 24-06.5 and Ashton Torns (Westlake, Austin, TX), the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals runner up, was third (24-03). Mateo Smith (BAHAMAS; LOUISIANA TECH; Boyd Anderson, Lauderdale Lakes, FL) was fifth at 23-11.5. Sixth was Khybah Dawson (BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDs; NEW MEXICO JC), the National Junior College runnerup at 23-07.5, and eighth was Stephen Farqharson (BAHAMAS; U of ALBANY), the America East conference runner up.

5000m Final – Women

Four finished from a field of five. The heat and humidity took its toll as all athletes ran about a minute slower than their personal bests. Canadian Chloe Turner won in 17:09.71 with Nimrit Ahuja (BROWN; Howard, Ellicott City, MD) second about 10 seconds back. Third was Veronica Huacasi (Peru) edged out of silver medal contention by about a second, and fourth was

Elizabeth Pickett (TEXAS; Bel Air, MD) in 17:35.04. None of the US U20 top 5 in the 5000m participated in this event at the USATF U20 meet. Their best times ranged from 15:35.73 to 16:02.21

400m Final – Women

This was a strange one. We noticed many with very strong medal whistles in the stands near us. When the gun went off, those with the whistles started to blow them. Many of the athletes thought it was a false start signal and they took off anyway, but the officials stopped them at the halfway point. They rescheduled it to about 30 minutes later, after the Men’s 400m.

The Americans took 1-2 as expected, with Christine Mallard (USC; Legacy, Mansfield, TX) winning (51.88) and Lauren Lewis (Prosper, TX), a member of the winning Nike Indoor Nationals 4x400m team taking second (52.06). Dejeanea Oakley (Jamaica) was third in 52.50. Who knows how fast they would have run without the call back.

400m Final – Men

This event saw the strength of Seattle area athletes (of all things!). The winner was Will Floyd (CANADA; Seattle Prep, Seattle, WA and GLS Speed Club), the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals runner up. He ran 45.62, well ahead of the rest of the field.

Second was Christopher Morales Williams (CANADA; U of GEORGIA) member of Georgia’s 2023 NCAA Division 1 4x400m 7th place team in 46.34. Grant Buckmiller (Lake Stevens, WA and GLS Speed Club), fourth at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals, was third in 46.58 NON 4 th (GLS Speed).

Jacob Andrews (Sehome, Bellingham WA), the 2022 Nike Outdoor Nationals champ was fourth in 46.74. Khamauri can M’Khori Crabbe (BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS; Coral Park, Miami, FL) were 7th and 8th .

4x100m Final – Men

The US relay curse continues as the Americans were disqualified for passing out of the zone (Tyler Azcano to Miles Jones). As a result, Bahamas took first, Puerto Rico second and Argentina third.

The US team was comprised of Cameron Tarver (SAN JOSE STATE; Fresno Central, Fresno, CA), Lamar Smith (SAN DIEGO MESA CC; Mission Hills, San Marcos, CA), Tyler Azcano (FLORIDA  A&M; East Ridge, Clermont, FL) and Miles Jones (Lake Ridge, Mansfield, TX) who was third in the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals 100m. Jamaica was disqualified as well.

4x100m Final – Women

When you have great exchanges and great athletes, you run fast times. That was what the Americans did in winning this event. Their time of 42.88 was a new Pan American record. The team consisted of Kaila Jackson (GEORGIA; Renaissance, Detroit, MI), fifth at the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals, Camryn Dickson (TEXAS A& M; Clear Brook, Houston, TX), Avery Lewis (Friends Central, Wynnewood, PA) and Shawnti Jackson (South Granville, Creedmoor, NC).

Jamaica was second in 45.23 and Canada third in 46.15, just edging host Puerto Rico by .03.