Championship season continues for Aggies competing at USATF Championships

SACRAMENTO – Championship season continues for Aggies competing at the USATF Outdoor Championships and Junior Championships this week as Sacramento State hosts both meets. Action at Hornet Stadium begins Thursday, June 22, and continues through Sunday, June 25.
 
The USATF Championships serves as the qualifying meet for the IAAF World Championships, which will be held in the London Olympic Stadium from August 4-13. The USATF Junior meet qualifies individuals to the Pan American Junior Championships, which will be held in Lima, Peru, from July 21-23.
 
Live coverage of the USATF Championships will be available on NBC Sports Network on Friday, June 23 (9:30 to 11:30 p.m. CT), and on NBC for Saturday, June 24 (3 to 5 p.m. CT) and Sunday, June 25 (3 to 5 p.m. CT). Other coverage of the meet is available through the NBC Sports Gold app.
 
Texas A&M senior Fred Kerley enters the USATF Championships as the current world leader at 400m with his collegiate record time of 43.70 seconds. The next fastest time recorded this season is a 44.26 by Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, while the next fastest American in 2017 is LSU's Michael Cherry with a 44.73.
 
"I just want to maintain what I've been doing this season and keep on pushing," said Kerley. "It's been a blessed season. If you have an undefeated season in the 400m and on the 4x400 relay, it's just a blessed effort at the end of the day. It keeps motivating me to finish this season off strong."
 
In addition to his 43.70, Kerley has posted times of 44.09 (SEC prelims), 44.10 (NCAA final), 44.30 (SEC final), 44.57 (NCAA semi), and 44.60 (Michael Johnson Inv.) this outdoor season as he improved his previous outdoor career best of 45.10 set in April of 2016.
 
Among performances on the 2017 world list, Kerley's array of impressive times rank 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, =10. In addition to generating six of the top 10 performances on the world stage in the 400m this season, Kerley has posted five of the top 10 performances on the collegiate all-time list. With his collegiate record ranking No. 1, Kerley also has positions 3, =4, 6 and 10.
 
Kerley became the first collegian in 30 years to produce multiple times among the top 10 performances on the collegiate all-time list. Prior to this season only two athletes had a pair of performances among the collegiate top 10. Butch Reynolds of Ohio State ran 44.10 and 44.13 in 1987 while Washington State's Gabriel Tiacoh posted a 44.30 and 44.32 in 1986.
 
Indoors, Kerley won the NCAA title in a world-leading 44.85 on the Gilliam track at Texas A&M and claimed the SEC title in 45.21 after clocking a 44.94 in the SEC prelims, the fastest time ever on an oversized track.
 
Kerley now embarks on a professional career starting with the USATF Championships as he heeds the advice of Aggie alums Deon Lendore and Bralon Taplin on racing in the 400m on the pro level.
 
"They've told me it's a different level of competition, because athletes will get ready for different levels of competition throughout the season," noted Kerley. "They said you just have to be prepared every time you step on the starting line and finish strong at the end of the race."
 
Kerley races in the first round of the 400m on Thursday as he is joined in the field by younger brother Mylik Kerley.
 
Competition on Thursday in the USATF Championships will also include Audrey Malone and Madalaine Stulce in the javelin, Devin Dixon in the 800m¸ and Aaliyah Brown in the 100m. Aggie alums in action on Thursday include Donavan Brazier (800m), Ashton Purvis (100m), Jessica Beard (400m) and Natosha Rogers (10,000m).
 
William Petersson is the lone Texas A&M athlete competing in the USATF Junior meet on Thursday. He ranks second among the javelin entries with his career best of 225-4 (68.69) from his debut season with the Aggies.
 
On Friday, the Texas A&M crew competing in junior events includes Jaevin Reed (400m), Infinite Tucker (110m, 400m hurdles), and Jace Comick (100m). With a career best time of 51.67 from the NCAA semifinal, Reed is the top U.S. junior in 2017 and ranks second on the world junior list.
 
An Aggie getting underway in the USATF Championships on Friday includes Robert Grant in the 400m hurdles while Texas A&M alum Shamier Little races in the women's 400m hurdles. Rogers is also entered in the 5,000m final that will be contested on Friday evening.
 
Saturday's events will include Sam Hardin in the javelin, Audie Wyatt in the pole vault, F. Kerley in the 200m along with Brown and Diamond Spaulding in the women's 200m. Aggie alum Ameer Webb joins Kerley in the men's 200m field. On the Junior level, Ashton Hutcherson competes in the 3,000m steeplechase with Comick contesting the 200m.
 
Will Williams joins the fray on Sunday in the long jump, while six other event finals on the track could involve Aggies on last day of the USATF Championships.  
 
USATF Championships – Current Texas A&M athletes (Aggie alums in italics)
All times listed are Pacific Time.
 
Thursday, June 22
1:30 p.m.            Juniors   Men                 Javelin FINAL       William Petersson
4 p.m.                 Seniors   Women          Javelin FINAL       Audrey Malone, Madalaine Stulce
4 p.m.                 Seniors   Men                800m (1^st Rd)       Devin Dixon, Donavan Brazier
5:10 p.m.            Seniors   Women          100m (1^st Rd)       Aaliyah Brown, Ashton Purvis
6:20 p.m.            Seniors   Women          400m (1^st Rd)       Jessica Beard
6:46 p.m.            Seniors   Men                400m (1^st Rd)       Fred Kerley, Mylik Kerley
8:27 p.m.            Seniors   Women       10,000m FINAL       Natosha Rogers
 
Friday, June 23 
12:15 p.m.         Juniors   Men            110m H (1^st Rd)       Infinite Tucker
1:35 p.m.            Juniors   Men                100m (1^st Rd)       Jace Comick
1:53 p.m.            Juniors   Women          400m (1^st Rd)       Jaevin Reed
2:55 p.m.            Juniors   Men            400m H (1^st Rd)       Infinite Tucker
4:15 p.m.            Juniors   Men               110m H FINAL       (Infinite Tucker)
4:35 p.m.            Juniors   Men                   100m FINAL       (Jace Comick)
5:16 p.m.            Seniors   Women           100m (Semi)       (Aaliyah Brown)
6:15 p.m.            Seniors   Women      400m H (1^st Rd)       Shamier Little
6:40 p.m.            Seniors   Men            400m H (1^st Rd)       Robert Grant
7:16 p.m.            Seniors   Women           400m (Semi)       (Jessica Beard)
7:52 p.m.            Seniors   Women            100m FINAL       (Aaliyah Brown)
7:53 p.m.            Seniors   Men                 400m (Semi)       (Fred Kerley, Mylik Kerley)
8:11 p.m.            Seniors   Men                 800m (Semi)       (Devin Dixon, Donavan Brazier)
8:46 p.m.            Seniors   Women         5,000m FINAL       Natosha Rogers
 
Saturday, June 24
11:30 a.m.          Seniors   Men                 Javelin FINAL       Sam Hardin
12 p.m.               Seniors   Men          Pole Vault FINAL       Audie Wyatt
12:05 p.m.         Seniors   Men                200m (1^st Rd)       Fred Kerley, Ameer Webb
12:30 p.m.         Seniors   Women          200m (1^st Rd)       Aaliyah Brown, Diamond Spaulding
1:31 p.m.            Seniors   Men                   400m FINAL       (Fred Kerley, Mylik Kerley)
1:39 p.m.            Seniors   Women       400m H (Semi)       (Shamier Little)
1:55 p.m.            Seniors   Men              400m H (Semi)       (Robert Grant)
3:23 p.m.            Juniors   Men                200m (1^st Rd)       Jace Comick
4:02 p.m.            Juniors   Women         Steeple FINAL       Ashton Hutcherson
4:30 p.m.            Juniors   Women            400m FINAL       (Jaevin Reed)
4:53 p.m.            Juniors   Men               400m H FINAL       (Infinite Tucker)
5:42 p.m.            Juniors   Men                   200m FINAL       (Jace Comick)
 
Sunday, June 25
12 p.m.               Seniors   Men                 200m (Semi)       (Fred Kerley)
12:10 p.m.         Seniors   Men         Long Jump FINAL       Will Williams
12:20 p.m.         Seniors   Women           200m (Semi)       (Aaliyah Brown, Diamond Spaulding)
1:20 p.m.            Seniors   Men                   800m FINAL       (Devin Dixon, Donavan Brazier)
1:46 p.m.            Seniors   Women         400m H FINAL       (Shamier Little)
1:56 p.m.            Seniors   Men               400m H FINAL       (Robert Grant)
2:33 p.m.            Seniors   Men                   200m FINAL       (Fred Kerley)
2:43 p.m.            Seniors   Women            200m FINAL       (Aaliyah Brown, Diamond Spaulding)