DES MOINES, Iowa – Five of six Aggies reached finals during semifinal action Friday at the USA Track & Field Championships held at Drake Stadium. Ameer Webb advanced from the 100m semifinal and raced in the final on the same night, placing seventh with a time of 10.23 seconds.
Advancing to finals were Donavan Brazier (400m), Fred Kerley (400m), Jessica Beard (400m) and Sammy Watson (800m). The 400m finals will be held Saturday while the 800m finals are on Saturday.
Brazier won the second semifinal in 1:47.27 to end the 21-race winning streak of Bryce Hoppel from Kansas, who was runner-up in 1:47.84. Brazier was in fourth place at 400m, with a split of 55.16, and then moved into the lead on the backstretch.
Covering the second lap in 52.11, Brazier led the field to the finish line. Clayton Murphy won the other semifinal in 1:45.24, moving from fifth to first over the final 90 meters.
"I got a little boxed in, but I was fine," noted Brazier. "I was a little nervous because everyone was going to feel good with 300 meters to go and we're all going to have to go. I just had to find my lane and keep it the last 200 meters. I anticipated a strong headwind and knew I'd have to save a little."
Fred Kerley (44.09) and Michael Norman (44.04) produced the top two times in the 400m semifinal as they raced in adjacent lanes.
Norman produced an early lead, but Kerley rallied at 250m and moved ahead Norman as the pair reached the homestretch. A lean at the finish produced a win for Norman, who bettered the facility record of 44.08 set by Kirani James in 2016.
Mylik Kerley ran a season best of 45.26 to place fifth in the first 400m semifinal and finished 10th overall.
Placing third in the semifinal of the 400m earned Jessica Beard a spot in the final. She finished behind Kendall Ellis and Wadeline Jonathas, who each clocked 50.81.
Watson placed fourth in her semifinal of the 800m and a 2:03.23 effort advanced to the final by 0.03 of a second over Ce'Aira Brown (2:03.26).
Webb ran 10.26 in the 100m semifinal, placing fourth in the second section to reach the final. He will race in the first round of the 200m on Saturday.
Shamier Little was scheduled to race in the first round of the 400m hurdles on Friday, but they were canceled. Little will contest the semifinal on Saturday.
USATF Championships – Texas A&M schedule – Des Moines, Iowa
Saturday, July 27
11:30 a.m. W Hept 100m Hurdles Annie Kunz
12:20 p.m. W Hept High Jump Annie Kunz
1:33 p.m. W 200m First Round Aaliyah Brown
1:58 p.m. M 200m First Round Ameer Webb
2:00 p.m. M Pole Vault FINAL Jacob Wooten, Audie Wyatt
2:15 p.m. W Hept Shot Put Annie Kunz
2:20 p.m. M Javelin FINAL Sam Hardin
2:40 p.m. W High Jump FINAL Shaina Burns
3:19 p.m. W Hept 200m Annie Kunz
4:09 p.m. W 400m Hurdles Semifinal Shamier Little
4:34 p.m. W400m FINAL Jessica Beard
4:43 p.m. M 400m FINAL Fred Kerley
Sunday, July 28
3:00 p.m. W Hept Long Jump Annie Kunz
4:05 p.m. W Hept Javelin Annie Kunz
5:00 p.m. M 200m Semifinal (Ameer Webb)
5:14 p.m. W 200m Semifinal (Aaliyah Brown)
5:42 p.m. W Hept 800m Annie Kunz
6:00 p.m. M Long Jump FINAL Will Williams
6:02 p.m. M 800m FINAL Donavan Brazier
7:04 p.m. W 400m Hurdles FINAL (Shamier Little)
7:12 p.m. W 800m FINAL Sammy Watson
7:33 p.m. M 1500m FINAL (Donavan Brazier)
7:43 p.m. M 200m FINAL (Aaliyah Brown)
7:51 p.m. M 200m FINAL (Ameer Webb)
Advancing to finals were Donavan Brazier (400m), Fred Kerley (400m), Jessica Beard (400m) and Sammy Watson (800m). The 400m finals will be held Saturday while the 800m finals are on Saturday.
Brazier won the second semifinal in 1:47.27 to end the 21-race winning streak of Bryce Hoppel from Kansas, who was runner-up in 1:47.84. Brazier was in fourth place at 400m, with a split of 55.16, and then moved into the lead on the backstretch.
Covering the second lap in 52.11, Brazier led the field to the finish line. Clayton Murphy won the other semifinal in 1:45.24, moving from fifth to first over the final 90 meters.
"I got a little boxed in, but I was fine," noted Brazier. "I was a little nervous because everyone was going to feel good with 300 meters to go and we're all going to have to go. I just had to find my lane and keep it the last 200 meters. I anticipated a strong headwind and knew I'd have to save a little."
Fred Kerley (44.09) and Michael Norman (44.04) produced the top two times in the 400m semifinal as they raced in adjacent lanes.
Norman produced an early lead, but Kerley rallied at 250m and moved ahead Norman as the pair reached the homestretch. A lean at the finish produced a win for Norman, who bettered the facility record of 44.08 set by Kirani James in 2016.
Mylik Kerley ran a season best of 45.26 to place fifth in the first 400m semifinal and finished 10th overall.
Placing third in the semifinal of the 400m earned Jessica Beard a spot in the final. She finished behind Kendall Ellis and Wadeline Jonathas, who each clocked 50.81.
Watson placed fourth in her semifinal of the 800m and a 2:03.23 effort advanced to the final by 0.03 of a second over Ce'Aira Brown (2:03.26).
Webb ran 10.26 in the 100m semifinal, placing fourth in the second section to reach the final. He will race in the first round of the 200m on Saturday.
Shamier Little was scheduled to race in the first round of the 400m hurdles on Friday, but they were canceled. Little will contest the semifinal on Saturday.
USATF Championships – Texas A&M schedule – Des Moines, Iowa
Saturday, July 27
11:30 a.m. W Hept 100m Hurdles Annie Kunz
12:20 p.m. W Hept High Jump Annie Kunz
1:33 p.m. W 200m First Round Aaliyah Brown
1:58 p.m. M 200m First Round Ameer Webb
2:00 p.m. M Pole Vault FINAL Jacob Wooten, Audie Wyatt
2:15 p.m. W Hept Shot Put Annie Kunz
2:20 p.m. M Javelin FINAL Sam Hardin
2:40 p.m. W High Jump FINAL Shaina Burns
3:19 p.m. W Hept 200m Annie Kunz
4:09 p.m. W 400m Hurdles Semifinal Shamier Little
4:34 p.m. W400m FINAL Jessica Beard
4:43 p.m. M 400m FINAL Fred Kerley
Sunday, July 28
3:00 p.m. W Hept Long Jump Annie Kunz
4:05 p.m. W Hept Javelin Annie Kunz
5:00 p.m. M 200m Semifinal (Ameer Webb)
5:14 p.m. W 200m Semifinal (Aaliyah Brown)
5:42 p.m. W Hept 800m Annie Kunz
6:00 p.m. M Long Jump FINAL Will Williams
6:02 p.m. M 800m FINAL Donavan Brazier
7:04 p.m. W 400m Hurdles FINAL (Shamier Little)
7:12 p.m. W 800m FINAL Sammy Watson
7:33 p.m. M 1500m FINAL (Donavan Brazier)
7:43 p.m. M 200m FINAL (Aaliyah Brown)
7:51 p.m. M 200m FINAL (Ameer Webb)