Morris stuns Suhr to lift title
Sandi Morris stunned world record holder Jenn Suhr to win the pole vault title at the US indoor championships on Saturday.
|||Portland, Oregon – Former collegiate champion Sandi Morris stunned world record holder Jenn Suhr to win the pole vault title at the US indoor championships on Saturday.
Morris cleared a lifetime best of 4.95 metres while Suhr, who set the world indoor record of 5.03m in January, placed second with 4.90m.
“I am living a dream,” said Morris after claiming victory.
Suhr, who missed once at 4.95m and twice at 5.00m, also made the U.S. team for next week’s IAAF world championships in Portland.
Teenage high jumper Vashti Cunningham, the daughter of former National Football League quarterback Randall, also made waves by jumping a personal best of 1.99m in a dominant performance.
“One of my dreams is to be on the 2016 Olympic team,” said the 18-year-old.
In the women’s 60m hurdles, Brianna Rollins took down a world class field to win in a year’s best 7.76 seconds with runner-up Keni Harrison (7.77) also dipping under the year’s previous best.
The sprints were fast too, with Barbara Pierre equalling Dutch world 200m champion Dafne Schippers’ 2016 best of 7.00 in the women’s 60m.
Marvin Bracy beat Trayvon Bromell in a photo finish for the men’s 60m title, both clocking 6.51 seconds.
Bracy claimed a third national title with his win over the 20-year-old Bromell, who won 100m bronze at last year’s world championships in Beijing.
They join wild card Mike Rodgers in the US team for the world championships, which begin on Thursday.
Carlin Isles, who had been bidding to make the US team for Rio in both rugby sevens and the 100m, missed out on a world championships spot, finishing fifth in 6.67 seconds.
Olympian Matthew Centrowitz held off Robby Andrews for the men’s 1 500m victory in 3:44.33 and Ajee Wilson dominated the women’s 800m, winning in 2:00.87.
– REUTERS