Athing Mu, Donavan Brazier Steal The Show With Historic 600s

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – “A Star Is Born” may not have won Best Picture Sunday night at the Academy Awards.

But everyone at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon saw something special.

A star. Born.

Athing Mu, the tall, sleek 16-year old from the Trenton Track Club in New Jersey chopped three seconds off Saturday’s World U-20 record and almost became the fastest female of all-time in the 600 meters, running 1:23.57. The world best is 1:23.44 by a Russian named in Olga Kotlyarova in 2004.

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Mu capped an exciting weekend for the handful of talented high schoolers who made the fields at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships.

In addition to Anna Hall’s high school record in the pentathlon Friday, Matthew Payamps’ No. 2 all-time 1,000 meters and Kayla Davis’ No. 3 all-time 300 meters Saturday, and Mu’s breakout, Marlee Starliper from Northern PA became the sixth prep girl to get under 10 minutes indoors in the 2-mile, going 9:58.22.

Starliper went out conservatively and picked off runners in the 'B' heat of the women's race and found success in her first race against pros. She gave up a chance to compete at the Pennsylvania state meet in order to gain the valuable experience.

Sunday was a good day for the Nike Oregon Project as teammates Craig Engels (mile), Donavan Brazier (600 meters) and Clayton Murphy (1,000 meters) all won U.S. titles.

Brazier’s 600, which immediately followed Mu’s victory, was also a sensational performance. He ran an all-time world best 1:13.77 – taking more than a second off Michael Saruni’s 2018 record of 1:14.79.

Brazier broke the American record in the 800 meters at the NYRR Millrose Games, so the indoor season has been a rousing success for the 21-year old.

What he really wants, though, is to keep the momentum going late into the summer.

“If you just focus on indoor, it’s fool’s gold,” Brazier said. “You can kind of live off that for a while, but I don’t want to live off this. I want it to set me up for outdoors.”

Engels unleashed a strong kick to come smiling across the finish line in 3:59.69. He closed in 54 seconds. He hopes to try and eclipse his PR and run under 3:53 next weekend at Boston University.

Murphy used his sprint speed to pull away easily at the end of the 1,000 and won in 2:20.36 to complete the training group’s sweep of the mid-distance events.

The meet was also a good one for recent alums of the Georgia women’s team. Keturah Orji, backed by a hometown crowd from her native New Jersey, came within two centimeters of tying the American record in the triple jump.

Orji’s win followed previous victories by former college teammates Kendell Williams in the pentathlon and Kate Hall in the long jump (Hall also placed second in the 60 meters).

Orji defeated American record holder Tori Franklin for the 10th straight time, against zero losses – by four inches.

Orji popped her winning jump, an indoor personal best 47-9 (14.55) on her first attempt.

“A lot of people came today so I was very excited about that,” Orji said. “I’m glad (Franklin) is there to push me because she really brings out the best in me.”

Katie Nageotte came back from Europe to compete in front of family and win her second straight indoor women’s pole vault title, clearing 15-9.25 (4.81) despite some fatigue that she attributed to jet-lag. She took three attempts at 16-1.75 (4.92m), which would have been a world leader.

Shelby Houlihan of the Bowerman Track Club shook off a rare domestic defeat in the mile and dominated the action in Sunday’s 2-mile, clocking 9:31.38 to comfortably beat Brooks’ Katie Mackey and New Balance’s Elinor Purrier.

Ajee' Wilson was similarly dominant in winning the 1,000 meters. The American record holder in the 800 meters rolled to a world-leading time of 2:34.71. It was her sixth U.S. indoor title.

“I’m super-happy with the win,” she said.   

Shania Collins (7.16) and Demek Kemp (6.55) may not be household names in U.S. sprinting, but they both won U.S. indoor titles in the 60 meters.

Sharika Nelvis ran a world-leading time of 7.85 seconds to win the 60-meter hurdles and then quickly recovered and placed third in the 60 dash about 20 minutes later.

Devon Allen won another U.S. title, this time claiming the indoor 60-meter hurdles in 7.60 seconds.

Racewalk veteran Miranda Melville won her first indoor national title in the 3,000 meters, clocking 12:57.58.

Donald Scott, the 2018 outdoor champion, led from wire to wire to take the men’s triple jump with 55-3.50 (16.85m).

Chase Ealey led three women over 60 feet in the shot put, taking her first U.S. title with 61-1.50 (18.62m), which came on her fifth-round throw.