Championship meet begins July 31 at Hayward Field with a packed schedule that includes seven event finals as athletes in the men’s and women’s 10,000 meters, men’s and women’s hammer and javelin and women’s long jump will get their chance to secure spots in the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Thursday’s finals will include reigning Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall in the long jump and Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher in the men’s 10,000.
Former Oregon standout and Paris Olympics gold medalist Cole Hocker is entered in the opening round of the men’s 1,500 and the best sprinters in the U.S. will compete in the first round of the men’s and women’s 100.
Day 1 of the decathlon and heptathlon is also Thursday, as is the first day of the U.S. Para National Championships.
Come back here for live updates throughout the opening day of the meet.
Raevyn Rogers takes off from the start of the first round of the women’s 800 meters during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Young upsets Fisher in sprint for 10K title
Nico Young took the lead with 250 meters to go and held off reigning champ Grant Fisher during a sprint down the homestretch to win the men’s 10,000.
Young crossed in 29:02.12 to 29:02.37 for Fisher, the 10,000 and 5,000 bronze medalist last summer at the Paris Olympics.
Graham Blanks was third in 29:03.66.
Kyle Garland holds a 336-point lead in the decathlon after the opening round of events. He has 4,714 points.
Reigning U.S. champ Heath Baldwin is second with 4,377 points.
Anna Hall, who is going for her second straight U.S. heptathlon title, has the lead with 4,097 points and a 199-point lead over Taliyah Brooks.
The Olympic champ wins the women’s long jump
Tara Davis-Woodhall recorded a world-leading mark of 23-4½ to win the women’s long jump.
The Olympic champ took the lead on her third attempt and recorded her winning mark on her fourth jump.
Claire Bryant was second at 22-10½ and Quanesha Burks was third at 22-7¾.
Tara Davis-Woodhall jumps in the women’s long jump during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Emily Infeld surprise winner in women’s 10K
Ten years after her bronze medal performance at the 2015 World Athletic Championships, Emily Infeld earned her way back onto the podium.
The 35-year-old veteran won the women’s 10,000, blasting past Elise Cranny and reigning U.S. champion Weini Kelati Frezghi with 300 meters to go. She crossed the finish line in 31:43.56.
It was Infeld’s sixth time racing the 10,000 at a USATF Outdoor Championships and her first win.
Cranny was second in 31:44.24 and Taylor Roe was third in 31:45.41.
Kelati took the lead with a lap to go but couldn’t hold it as she faded to fourth in 31:46.37.
Cole Hocker leads the pack in the first round of the men’s 1,500 meters during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Cole Hocker posts top time in men’s 1,500 semifinals
Former Duck and reigning Olympic champion Cole Hocker was as sharp as he needed to be on Thursday.
Hocker ran a season-best 3:32.27 to win his 1,500 semifinal heat and record the fastest time of the day. Up next is the finals on Saturday.
“You know, making this team does not get any easier, even after a year like last year,” Hocker said. “So I’m going into two days from now knowing how hard it is to make this team and I gotta be 100% on my game.”
Former Duck Sam Prakel – who ran a PR 3:33.08 – also qualified for the final, as did 2024 Olympians Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler.
Rudy Winkler wins another U.S. title
In the men’s hammer, Rudy Winkler won his fifth U.S. championship – a title that was never in doubt.
The American record-holder was the only competitor to throw more than 260 feet and he did it six times, including a top mark of 267-3 on his second attempt.
Trey Knight was second with a personal-record throw of 258-5.
Oregon’s Benjamin Balazs competes in the first round of the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Oregon’s Benjamin Balazs makes men’s 3,000 steeplechase final
The season isn’t yet over for the Ducks’ sophomore.
The Big Ten champ and NCAA all-American finished fourth in his 3,000 steeplechase semifinal heat to automatically qualify for Saturday’s final.
Balazs ran 8:22.58, a PR by nearly 2 seconds and getting him closer to Ken Martin’s 1980 program record of 8:20.97.
Bucknell sophomore wins women’s javelin
Evie Bliss won the women’s javelin title with a throw of 189-6. Bliss is a sophomore from Bucknell who was 12th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. Neither Bliss nor any other competitor on Thursday has the world championship standard.
Noah Lyles competes in the first round of the men’s 100-meter dash during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Noah Lyles entered and running the 100 and 200
Noah Lyles is an automatic world championships qualifier, but that’s not keeping the reigning world champion in the men’s 100 and 200 from competing this weekend.
“I need the races,” Lyles said Friday after winning his 100 prelim heat in 10.05. “Everybody knows I started the season late due to injury so I just need as many races as possible.”
Lyles won’t run in the 100 semifinal on Friday but he is entered in the 200 on Sunday.
The fastest 100 prelim time on Thursday was produced by Kenny Bednarek, who ran 9.95 in his heat.
Former Oregon Duck Jenna Prandini competes in the first round of the women’s 100-meter dash during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Three Ducks advance in women’s 100
Jenna Prandini, Jadyn Mays and English Gardner all advanced to Friday’s semifinals in the women’s 100.
Prandini ran 10.95 to finish second in her prelim heat on Thursday. Mays ran a season-best 11.11 to finish fourth in her heat, and Gardner ran 11.12 to finish third in her heat.
Sha’Carri Richardson competes in the first round of the women’s 100-meter dash during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Sha’Carri Richardson coy about plans for rest of the meet
As the reigning world champ, Sha’Carri Richardson has a bye into the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and doesn’t need a top-three finish at the USATF Outdoor Championships to qualify.
She was second in her 100 heat on Thursday to make Friday’s semifinal. She’s also entered in the 200, which begins Sunday. Whether or not she’ll compete anymore this weekend is unclear.
After her heat on Thursday, when asked what her plans were for the rest of the meet, Richardson smiled and said, “The plan for the rest of the meet is to make up my mind with what I need to do and just get to Tokyo.”
Her plan going into Thursday’s prelim heat was more definitive.
“Run fast, go straight,” she said. “Pretty much there was nothing else.”
Sha’Carri Richardson advances to women’s 100 semifinals
In her first race since finishing last at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5, Sha’Carri Richardson finished second in her women’s 100 preliminary heat in a season-best 11.07 to advance to the Friday’s semifinals. Kayla White won the heat in a personal-record 10.89.
Richardson has automatic entry in the Tokyo world championships because she is the reigning world champion.
Favorites move on in the women’s 800 preliminaries
Athing Mu-Nokolayev, the Olympic champ in Tokyo and world champion in Eugene, won her heat in a season-best 2:00.06 to make Friday’s semifinals in the women’s 800. Reigning U.S. champ Nia Akins also won her heat in 2:01.22.
Sage Hurta-Keckler was the only runner under 2:00 as she clocked a 1:59.28.
Former Duck great Raevyn Rogers also finished second in her heat in 2:01.74 to advance
Donavan Brazier is back on the big stage
It’s been six years since the American record-holder in the men’s 800 demolished the field during the 2019 world championships in Doha to become the first American to win gold in that event in 47 years.
That magical season was followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and then four years of injuries for Brazier. Now 28, he returned to the track in 2025 after not competing at all in 2023 and 2024. Thursday, he was back in the USATF Outdoor Championships and won his preliminary heat in 1 minute, 48.23 seconds to advance to Friday’s semifinals.
“I’m running really stress free right now,” Brazier said. “I’m just really appreciative and grateful to be back. But keep in mind, I definitely have high expectations for myself.”
DeAnna Price claims women’s hammer title
American record holder DeAnna Price won the women’s hammer competition, sending the 2019 world champion to Tokyo.
Price opened her afternoon with a throw of 257-0 to take a lead she would never relinquish. Her best mark of 257-7 came on her final attempt.
Brooke Anderson was second at 246-6, and Rachel Richeson was third at 244-8. All three women have the world championships standard.
Annette Echikunwoke, the Paris Olympics silver medalist, finished sixth with a mark of 234-11.
Former Duck and Oregon record holder Shelby Moran finished 10th with a throw of 225-3.
Curtis Thompson wins the javelin during day one of the USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on July 31, 2025.
Curtis Thompson wins fourth U.S. javelin title
The veteran of five global competitions qualified for his third World Athletics Outdoor championship with his win in the men’s javelin.
All six of Thompson’s throws would have won the competition and his best mark of 275 feet, 2 inches came on his fourth attempt.
Dash Sirmon was the runner-up at 253-6.
How to watch Day 1 of the USATF Outdoor Championships
When: Thursday, July 31
TV: No TV broadcast
Streaming: USATF.tv
How to get USATF.tv
The on-demand streaming service is subscription based and can be purchased for $12.99 for one month.
The USATF Outdoor Championships meet schedule for July 31
10:30 a.m. – decathlon 100 meters
11 a.m. – heptathlon 100 hurdles
11:20 a.m. – decathlon long jump
12:15 p.m. – heptathlon high jump
12:20 – decathlon shot put
1:20 p.m. – men’s javelin final
1:30 p.m. – women’s hammer final
3:07 p.m. – men’s 800 prelims
3:27 p.m. – women’s 800 prelims
3:30 p.m. – women’s javelin final
4:07 p.m. – women’s 100 prelims
4:27 p.m. – men’s 100 prelims
4:30 p.m. – men’s hammer final
5:07 p.m. – women’s 3,000 steeplechase
5:39 p.m. – men’s 3,000 steeplechase
5:45 p.m. – decathlon high jump
6 p.m. – women’s long jump
6:10 p.m. – men’s 1,500 semifinals
6:20 p.m. – heptathlon shot put
6:32 p.m. – women’s 1,500 semifinals
6:54 p.m. – women’s 10,000 final
7:36 p.m. – heptathlon 200
7:52 p.m. – decathlon 400
8:08 p.m. – men’s 10,000 final
The USATF Para National Championships meet schedule for July 31
10:30 a.m. – mixed club final (eligible classifications: 31, 32, 51)
10:30 a.m. – men’s shot put final
11:20 a.m. – women’s 5,000 final (53, 54)
11:35 a.m. – men’s 5,000 final (53, 54)
11:45 a.m. – men’s 5,000 final (11-13)
12:10 p.m. – women’s 1,500 final (11-13, 20)
12:20 p.m. – men’s 400 final (35, 38)
12:30 p.m. – women’s long jump final (11, 12, 20, 36-38)
12:30 p.m. – men’s 400 open final (wheelchair)
12:30 p.m. – women’s 400 open final (wheelchair)
12:45 p.m. – men’s 200 open final (ambulatory)
12:45 p.m. – women’s 200 open final (ambulatory)
1:30 p.m. – women’s shot put final (11, 12, 20, 35-37, 40-46, 61-64)
6:10 p.m. – men’s discus final (43, 44, 62, 64)
7 p.m. – men’s discus final (11, 37)
7:35 p.m. – women’s shot put final (32-34, 53-57)
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard.
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