Lawson follows outdoor long jump title with indoor crown, Kynard wins fifth straight in high jump

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Erik Kynard made history Saturday with his fifth consecutive men’s high jump title at the USATF Indoor Championships.

But it was Jarrion Lawson who might have made the biggest statement by capturing the long jump crown at Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico.

Lawson added to his first outdoor title last year by winning his first indoor championship, soaring to No. 2 in the world this season with a fifth-round jump of 27-6 (8.38m) to edge 2016 World Indoor gold medalist Marquis Dendy, who improved to fifth among global performers with a fifth-round leap of 26-11.75 (8.22m).

“It was a good day, obviously, guys showed out,” said Lawson, who just missed matching his 2014 indoor personal best of 27-6.50 (8.39m), which ranks him as the No. 9 all-time American performer just behind Dendy.

“I came in and my mind was ready and I went 8.14m (26-8.50) on my first jump, which was a season best, and usually when I have a season best on the first jump, it’s a good day. Then I came out with my second-furthest jump indoors, right behind my PR, so I’m pretty happy with that.”

Lawson and Dendy both qualified to compete March 2 at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, U.K.

They continue to chase South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga, the reigning World Outdoor champion and current global indoor leader at 27-6.75 (8.40m), who edged Lawson for gold in August in London.

“Right now I got my eyes set on World Indoors. After that silver medal at outdoors last year, I’m hunting for gold,” Lawson said. “I’m going to go back and get to training. I’m excited to train a little bit. This meet here, this jump, got me excited a little bit. I’m excited to see what happens for Worlds.”

Kynard cleared 7-6.50 (2.30m) on his first attempt to become the first American male athlete to win five straight indoor high jump titles. Harold Osborn had won four in a row from 1923-26.

Kynard missed on all three attempts at 7-7.75 (2.33m), which is the World Indoor qualifying standard.

“I would have liked to jump a little higher, but I actually got the flu like a week before coming here, so I was out of training for like six days and it showed,” said Kynard, who has cleared at least 7-6 (2.29m) to win all five titles.

“I just wasn’t sharp, but it happens. It is what it is, I just have to move on and get ready for outdoors.”

After sweeping the mile and 2-mile indoor titles last year, Shelby Houlihan won the women’s 3,000 final in 9:00.08, covering the final 200 meters in 28.8 seconds to hold off Katie Mackey (9:01.68) and Emma Coburn (9:01.85).

Houlihan already had achieved the World Indoor standard Feb. 3 when she ran 8:36.01, the third-fastest time in the world this year, at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. Mackey also earned the standard the same day when she clocked 8:43.15 at the NYRR Millrose Games.

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program teammates Paul Chelimo (7:57.88) and Shadrack Kipchirchir (7:58.42) swept the top two spots in the men’s 3,000, edging third-place Ryan Hill (7:58.69).

Chelimo ran 7:31.57 outdoors in May to secure the World Indoor standard and Kipchirchir clocked 7:42.71 on Jan. 27 in Boston to assure his place on the U.S. roster.

Scott Houston cleared a lifetime-best 19-1.50 (5.83m) to capture his first national pole vault title, knocking off reigning World Outdoor champion Sam Kendricks, who cleared 18-11.50 (5.78m). It was Kendricks’ first loss on American soil since May 2016 and his first setback against a fellow U.S. competitor since September 2015.

Tori Franklin repeated as women’s triple jump champion with a personal-best 46-5.25 (14.15m), but fell short of achieving the World Indoor standard of 46-11.25 (14.30m).

Michelle Carter had won five straight women’s indoor shot put national championships, but decided not to compete this season, opening the door for Daniella Hill to win her first title with a sixth-round effort of 59-4.75 (18.10m). Hill had the World Indoor qualifying standard after throwing 64-5 (19.64m) outdoors last year.

Conor McCullough won his first men’s weight throw national title with a world-leading 78-2.75 (23.84m), but the event isn’t contested at World Indoors.

Jeremy Taiwo rallied in the final event, the 1,000 meters, to overcome a 12-point deficit and win his first men’s heptathlon title since 2015 with 5,935 points. Wolf Mahler won the 1,000 in 2:40.43 to Taiwo’s 2:41.36 to place second with 5,923 points.