USA Track and Field Championships-2017

The USATF (USA track and Field) championships were held June 22 through June 25 at Hornet stadium at Sacramento State University.

This photo essay captures a number of events as well as the pre-competition media conference. Enjoy the championships.

USATF/American Cancer Society Media Conference, June 21, 2017

The USATF and the American Cancer Society announced the TOGETHER: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE fund raising campaign. It encourages individuals to pledge money for each medal the Team USATF wind at the IAAF World Championships in August in London. 75 percent of the money raised will go to the American Cancer society and 25 percent will go to the USATF’s athlete development program.

Tianna Bartoletta – Women’s Long Jump/100m

Clayton Murphy – Men’s 800/1500m

Emma Coburn – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase

Ronnie Baker – Men’s 100m

Day One, Thursday June 22

Men’s Hammer Throw

An amazing group of men braved the 108 degree heat on Thursday to compete in the men’s Hammer throw. Here are quotes from the winners.

Men’s Hammer – Alex Young, first place “It is really awesome especially coming off NCAAs two weeks ago. It is a great experience to be out here and compete with some great guys. To comeback and actually win the championship after finishing second at NCAAs. I am really grateful. My sequence of throws was some what scattered. I was trying to go after it and see what I could do. I knew I had to hit the world standard out here [and that] would be my best bet for worlds. It did not quite happen but I had fun and came away with a small PR.”

Men’s Hammer – Johnnie Jackson, second place “I felt absolutely great (about my finish). I came in ninth overall on paper. I was lucky to get near my PR and throw one. I felt really good today. I felt fast and sharp. I knew it was going to be a great day. Of course, i did not come up with a PR. I was glad to be able to get out a good throw. At NCAAS I threw 71.72 and today i threw 71.69. I am ecstatic with the consistency.”

Men’s Hammer – Sean Donnelly, third place “Today’s competition was OK. I definitely would have liked to throw farther but everyone always wants to throw farther. The heat was hard with 18-person prelim was very poorly planned especially with conditions like this. Everyone has to deal with it and you have to go out and perform, make finals and do your thing. Unfortunately, it is hard to get in a rhythm with warmups and the first couple rounds are tough. I came away with third place and I am pretty happy with that. It puts me in a better position for world qualifying which is good.”

Women’s 3000m Steeplechase

 Day 3

Michael Johnson congratulates Clyde Hart with the 2017 USATF Legend Coach Award. Hart was coach to multiple Olympic Gold Medal winners including Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner, Sanya Richards-Ross and Darold Williamson.

Quanera Hayes – Women’s 400m winner

Oh, the joy of Gold!

Women’s Shot Put

Day 4

Zack Bazile, Ohio State managed an 11th place finish with 7.79m in the Men’s Long Jump

Bryan McBride encourages the audience on the way to winning the Men’s long jump with a 2.3m result.

Rosie approached me saying, ‘Take my picture, take my picture.” I said sure and she explained that she ran the Women’s 80m in Tokyo in 1964. No one took her photo at that time so, Rosie, here’s your photo in print!

Photos by Phil Kemp