Nine Finals Dot the Schedule on Day One

By Scott Bush

The USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships kick off today at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Day one of the two day meet includes a variety of prelim races, but it also include nine finals, starting with the weight throw and concluding with the two loaded 3000m races. 

Here's your cheat sheet for Friday at the USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships

How to Watch | View the Stadium

The Schedule - Friday

Mini-Previews of Who to Watch in Each Final

Mens Weight Throw: 37 year old reigning champion A.G. Kruger seeks yet another national title, his ninth in this event by our count. He narrowly won last year and enters Friday's contest ranked #2 behind Michael Lihrman, both being the only men to clear the 23 meter (75-5.5) this season. 2015 third place finisher Andy Fryman is also entered, as is mainstay Colin Dunbar.

Womens Weight Throw: Reigning champion Felisha Johnson looks to earn another national title Friday, but she won't enter as the pre-meet favorite, with Gwen Berry, Amber Campbell and Jessica Ramsey all having better seasonal bests, with Berry having a nation-leading 24.51m (80-5) best. Campbell finished third in 2015 and is the second returnee, so she's clearly seeking to update the field and come away with the win. 

Womens Triple Jump: This event is a hard one to read. Defending champion Amanda Smock returns, but her seasonal best falls outside the top ten in the United States. Christina Epps owns the best entry mark in the field with a 13.94m (45-9) mark, while Andrea Geubelle is second with a 13.91m (45-7.75).  Last year's third place finisher Blessing Ufodiama is similar to Smock in that she currently ranks outside the top ten. What this means, of course, is that the event is wide open.

Mens Pole Vault: Reigning champion Sam Kendricks is the man to beat. Kendricks continues to find his medal-challenging consistency this season, but after going 5.84m (19-2) last month, Kendricks is not just a challenger to win the U.S. title, but also the world title. His nearest competitor at this point is Mike Arnold, who has a seasonal best of 5.77m (18-11) at altitude from last month, while Adam Bragg and Scott Houston have each cleared the 5.60m (18-4.5) or better this indoor season. Veteran Mark Hollis and 2015 third place finisher Jeffrey Coover are two others capable of a top two finish.

Mens Long Jump: The must-see field event of the day. Marquis Dendy comes in as the pre-meet favorite having lept a world-leading 8.38m (27-6) and another 8.11m (26-7.25). The key to Dendy's success is whether he can find his rhythm early on. His top challengers are Jeff Henderson and Marquise Goodwin. Henderson currently ranks US#4 with a seasonal best of 8.06m (26-5.5), while Goodwin ranks US#5 with his best mark of 7.99m (26-2.75). Add in Ashton Eaton and this is one heck of an event.

Mens High Jump: Olympic medalist Erik Kynard returns to defend his indoor title and gain some additional momentum as the IAAF World Indoor Championships near. Kynard is the top entry with his seasonal best of 2.30m (7-6.5). He'll be challenged by 2015 runner-up Ricky Robertson, former Northern Arizona University All-American Deante Kemper and former Arizona State University All-American Bryan McBride. 

Womens Shot Put: Despite not yet competing in 2016, Olympian Michelle Carter is the heavy favorite. Carter enters as the reigning champion and continues to be the top putter in the country year after year. She'll find top challengers from a half dozen rivals, as the top seven finishers from last year's event are entered. Dani Bunch has the best seasonal mark in the field with her 18.87 (61-11) from last month, while Brittany Smith, Jevena Stevens and Felisha Johnson have all thrown over 60+ feet this season. Whoever earns the two Team USA spots for next week, the U.S. is going to have a couple medal challengers at Worlds.

Womens 3000m: The fight for a top two finish in this event will be fierce. Defending USATF indoor two-mile champion Shannon Rowbury is the clear favorite, but there are a half dozen other women fully capable of finishing top two and challenging Rowbury for the win. Bowerman Track Club teammates Emily Infeld and Shelby Houlihan are in prime shape after fantastic 5k performances at the NYRR Millrose Games, as is Marielle Hall, who narrowly edged Houlihan in NYC. Toss in Leah O'Connor, Abbey D'Agostino and Lauren Paquette and this race is going to be a good one. 

Mens 3000m: The mens 3000m has arguably the strongest field of the entire meet and include an incredible array of storylines. 2015 indoor two mile champion Ryan Hill, who also won the 5,000m title outdoor last year, should be considered the pre-meet favorite, especially after his narrow win over Hassan Mead at the NYRR Millrose Games 3000m last month. Mead is another fully capable of pulling off the victory, as are Hill's teammates Evan Jager, Lopez Lomong and Andy Bayer. Throw in Nike Oregon Project's Eric Jekins, Garrett Heath, Paul Chelimo, Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp and can see there are ten athletes fully capable of winning. Rupp, after winning the Olympic Marathon Trials less than a month ago, is the wildcard in the field, with fans wondering if he had enough time to regroup after his grueling 26.2 mile effort in Los Angeles.