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≡ OUTDOOR SEASON ON FIRE ≡
The Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida, was a center of interest in the track world this past weekend, with some amazing early-season marks and world leaders in seven individual events:
● Men/200 m: 19.99, Makanakaishe Charamba (ZIM-Auburn)
● Men/400 m: 44.15, Chris Robinson (USA)
● Men/110 m hurdles: 13.09, Trey Cunningham (USA)
● Women/100 m: 10.98, Anavia Battle (USA)
● Women/200 m: 21.88, Julien Alfred (LCA)
● Women/100 m hurdles: 12.51, Grace Stark (USA)
● Women/Long Jump: 6.82 m (22-4 1/2), Anthaya Charlton (BAH-Florida)
In the men’s 100 m, Auburn soph Kanyinsola Ajayi (NGR) won in 9.96 (+1.9 m/s) to move to equal-second on the 2025 world list and 2024 U.S. relay Olympian Courtney Lindsey won the Olympic Development 100 m in 9.97 (+1.9), with 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman third in 10.06.
Worth noting in the men’s 200 m was the return of Tokyo Olympic 400 m champ Steven Gardiner (BAH), who won a heat of the Olympic Development races in 20.40 (-1.0). The men’s 400 m was savage, with Canadian Will Floyd (Georgia) winning the collegiate A-race in 44.93, then Robinson – best known as the 2023 NCAA 400 m hurdles champ for Alabama – getting a lifetime best (and world lead) of 44.15 to beat Matthew Boling (44.92); Jacory Patterson won heat one in 44.27 to move to no. 2 in the world for 2025, with sprint star Noah Lyles getting a lifetime best of 45.87 in fourth, the first time he’s run this distance since 2016.
Two-time Worlds 200 m medalist Erriyon Knighton ran in race three of the 400 and was sixth in 46.26.
Cunningham scored a rare win over Olympic 110 m hurdles champ Grant Holloway in the Olympic Development final, 13.09 to 13.18 (+1.5 m/s).
Two U.S. teams faced off in the men’s 4×100 m, with Lyles anchoring a team of Coleman, Pjai Austin and Knighton to a 37.90 win – no. 2 in 2025 – over Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King and Kendal Williams (38.18).
In the women’s 400 m Georgia’s Aliyah Butler, the Olympic Trials runner-up in 2024, won her heat in 49.44 to move to no. 4 in the world this season. Olympic fifth-placer Stark won a tight finish with Olympic gold winner Masai Russell in the 100 m hurdles final, 12.59 to 12.65 (-0.7), but they were faster in the heats, with Stark running 12.51 (+0.2), Russell at 12.62 (+1.9) in heat two and Christina Clemons at 12.61 (+1.0) in heat three.
The U.S. had two women’s 4×100 m teams running, with Jadyn Mays, Kennedy Blackmon, Battle and Brittany Brown winning in 42.18 to 42.27 for Melissa Jefferson, Tee Tee Terry, Tamari Davis and Kayla White.
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At the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, a noteworthy win for 2022 World men’s 100 m champ Fred Kerley, who ran his first 400m since 2023 and won in 44.73, beating Arizona State’s Jayden Davis (44.84).
Kerley was known as a 400 m star for his 43.64 best from 2019, when he was NCAA champ for Texas A&M. Since switching to the 100 m in 2021, he’s run a 400 m once each in 2022, 2023 and now, 2025.
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At the Velocity Fest in Kingston (JAM), home star Ackeem Blake moved to equal-second on the world 100 m list, winning in 9.96 (+1.7) and five-time Worlds women’s 100 m champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, 38, ran and won her heat of the women’s 100 in a wind-aided 10.94 (+3.1).
In Pittsburg, Kansas, American hurdles star Cordell Tinch revisited the site of his collegiate success at Pittsburg State and won the 110 m hurdles in a speedy – but very wind-aided – 12.97 (+3.4).
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