PEERLESS PROGNOSTICATIONS by Dave Johnson
as of June 04
TEAM USA for September’s World Championships in Tokyo will be chosen at the later-than-usual USATF Championships (Eugene, July 31–August 03). Collegiate athletes will face a long break between the NCAA and the USATF meets.
From the exceedingly tenuous vantage point of 9 weeks out, here’s our Top 10 charting for each men’s event at USATF. The listing of an athlete in a discipline doesn’t guarantee he’ll contest that event (or events).
Athletes who have met the Tokyo qualifying standard are noted with an asterisk. Achieving a Q isn’t mandatory for making the team, as WA will fill out about half the fields in each event from its world rankings.
The U.S. will have 4 Wild Card slots (meaning 4 can qualify instead of the standard 3), given to reigning WC gold medalists: Noah Lyles (100 & 200), Grant Holloway (110H) & Ryan Crouser (SP).
Here’s our Top 10s (the number in the right-hand column represents the athlete’s placing in last year’s U.S. Rankings as compiled by T&FN):
| 100 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Noah Lyles | (adidas) | 1 |
| 2 | *Kenny Bednarek | (Nike) | 4 |
| 3 | *Courtney Lindsey | (Nike) | 6 |
| 4 | *Fred Kerley | (SHARKS) | 3 |
| 5 | *Christian Coleman | (Nike) | 2 |
| 6 | *Jordan Anthony | (Arkansas) | nr |
| 7 | *Brandon Hicklin | (Nike) | 7 |
| 8 | Christian Miller | (Puma) | 5 |
| 9 | Ronnie Baker | (adidas) | 10 |
| 10 | Jelani Watkins | (LSU) | nr |
| 200 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Noah Lyles | (adidas) | 2 |
| 2 | *Kenny Bednarek | (Nike) | 1 |
| 3 | *Erriyon Knighton | (adidas) | 3 |
| 4 | *Fred Kerley | (SHARKS) | 5 |
| 5 | *Courtney Lindsey | (Nike) | 4 |
| 6 | *Jordan Anthony | (Arkansas) | nr |
| 7 | *Garrett Kaalund | (USC) | nr |
| 8 | *Cameron Miller | (Purdue) | nr |
| 9 | Kyree King | (Nike) | 6 |
| 10 | Robert Gregory | (unattached) | 8 |
| 400 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Quincy Hall | (adidas) | 1 |
| 2 | *Jacory Patterson | (Cique E) | nr |
| 3 | *Chris Bailey | (Tracksmith) | 4 |
| 4 | *Michael Norman | (Nike) | 3 |
| 5 | *Vernon Norwood | (New Balance) | 2 |
| 6 | *Bryce Deadmon | (Nike) | 5 |
| 7 | *Chris Robinson | (unattached) | nr |
| 8 | Khaleb McRae | (D4) | 8 |
| 9 | *Micahi Danzy | (Florida State) | nr |
| 10 | *Auhmad Robinson | (Texas A&M) | nr |
| 800 METERS | |||
| 1 | *Josh Hoey | (adidas) | 4 |
| 2 | *Bryce Hoppel | (adidas) | 1 |
| 3 | *Brandon Miller | (Brooks Beasts) | 3 |
| 4 | *Jonah Koech | (Under Armour) | 5 |
| 5 | *Hobbs Kessler | (adidas) | 2 |
| 6 | Sam Whitmarsh | (Texas A&M) | 10 |
| 7 | Christian Jackson | (Virginia Tech) | nr |
| 8 | Wes Ferguson | (unattached) | nr |
| 9 | Will Sumner | (adidas) | nr |
| 10 | Isaiah… | ||
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