Usoro, Jones, Kerley all win national championships

Texas Tech track and field athletes Ruth Usoro and Terrence Jones became national champions in their home countries Friday, as did former South Plains College star Fred Kerley.

Usoro won the triple jump at Nigeria's national championships, Jones won the 100 meters at the Bahamas' national meet and Kerley was the talk of the U.S. championships, where he won the 100 after setting a meet record in the semifinals.

Kerley ran a personal record 9.76 seconds in the semi at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, then came back in the final and ran 9.77. The 9.76 was a meet record, facility record and the fastest time in the world this year.

"It's all about patience and training, and doing what I've got to do," Kerley said after taking selfies with fans.

The 27-year-old was a two-time NCAA champion and two-time U.S. champion in the 400 meters before he shifted his focus to the shorter sprints last year and won the Olympic silver medal in the 100.

In the Nigerian championships at Benin City, Usoro broke 14 meters in the triple jump for the first time this year, going 46 feet, 3 1/4 inches. The Red Raiders' all-American struggled in 2022 to live up to a banner 2021 season in which she won the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles, though she finished second two weeks ago at the NCAA outdoor championships.

In the Bahamas national meet in Nassau, Jones won the 100 in 10.21, and former South Plains College athlete Laquan Nairn won the long jump with a mark of 25-8 1/4.

The national meets double as trials for the IAAF World Championships scheduled for July 15-24 in Eugene. The final day of competition at the U.S. championships is Sunday, and one of those entered is Coronado and Texas Tech graduate Trey Culver in the high jump.

Tech exes Benard Keter and Alaysha Johnson clinched spots on Team USA for the World Championships on Saturday's third day of the meet at Hayward Field. The 30-year-old took third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a season best 8 minutes, 19.16 seconds. Keter was second in last summer's U.S. trials, running on the same track, and 11th at the Olympics.

Johnson ran a personal record 12.35 in the finals of the women's 100-meter hurdles, one one-hundredth of a second behind winner Keni Harrison, the world record holder.

Keter transferred to Tech from Wayland Baptist, and Johnson ran her last college season for Tech after transferring from Oregon.

Two former South Plains College stars advanced through the first round of competitions on Saturday with Kerley running a 20.29 in the 200 meters and Robert Dunning clocking a 13.45 in the 110-meter hurdles.

SPC graduate Vernon Norwood ran a personal record 44.35 in a blistering final of the men's 400 meters, which netted him only fifth place.

The dream of making the World Championships ended Saturday for five other runners with area ties. SPC's Chris Robinson ran a personal-best 50.96 in the semifinals of the men's 400 hurdles, but failed to advance.

Also failing to make it out of first-round heats were Tech's Courtney Lindsey in the men's 200 meters (20.83), Wayland Baptist's Raheema Westfall in the women's 200 meters (23.19) and, in the men's 110 hurdles, Tech's Maliek Kendall (13.85) and Denim Rogers (14.16).

In Friday's final of the women's high jump, South Plains College ex Jelena Rowe finished eighth, topping out at 5-11 1/2. Zarriea Willis, the two-time NCAA champion from Tech, and current Tech jumper Sidney Sapp both no-heighted.

In the semifinals of the men's 800 meters, former Midland High star Bryce Hoppel and Tech ex Jonah Koech qualified for Sunday's final with top-three finishes in their heats. Koech ran 1:46.80 for third place in the first heat, and Hoppel ran 1:46.32 for second in the second heat.

Former Tech standout Vincent Crisp failed to advance with a time of 1:49.06.

In the women's discus, Tech's Seasons Usual finished 14th (166-2) and Malin Smith didn't get in a legal throw. Both were first-team all-Americans two weeks ago at the NCAA championships at Hayward Field.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ruth Usoro, Terrence Jones, Fred Kerley win national championships