Nilsen needs third-attempt clearance at 18-10.75 (5.76m), but prevails with 19-4.75 (5.91m) performance and is expected to be joined in Budapest by Bradford and McWhorter; Dendy, Ewen, Thompson and Winkler also secure championships

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE, Ore. – In the deepest men’s pole vaulting country in the world, even the American record holder and a two-time World champion aren’t guaranteed spots on the U.S. national team.

That was the harsh reality Saturday night at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field, with a pair of 6-meter competitors in KC Lightfoot and Sam Kendricks, finishing in a fourth-place tie and likely missing an opportunity to represent the Americans in August at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Chris Nilsen, the reigning World and Olympic silver medalist, captured his third consecutive title with a first-attempt clearance at 19 feet, 4.75 inches (5.91m). Nilsen navigated through some anxious moments earlier in the competition with a third-attempt clearance at 18-10.75 (5.76m), but responded by clearing three consecutive bars on his first opportunities to triumph again.

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Zach McWhorter, a former Brigham Young All-American now competing as an unsponsored post-collegiate athlete, produced an outdoor personal-best 19-2.75 (5.86m) on his third attempt to place second.

Texas Tech All-American Zach Bradford, the NCAA Division 1 indoor runner-up and third-place outdoor finisher, achieved a valuable first-attempt clearance at 19-0.75 (5.81m) to take third.

Lightfoot, the American record holder at 19-11 (6.07m), and 10-time U.S. champion Kendricks both cleared 19-0.75 on their second opportunities and found themselves just missing podium finishes.

Following a fourth-place tie at the 2021 Olympics, Lightfoot is expected to miss his second straight opportunity to compete at a World Championships. It will mark the third straight global competition without Kendricks, including a positive COVID-19 test that prevented him from vaulting in Tokyo.

The American men’s hammer throw lineup scheduled to compete in Budapest is becoming a familiar trio at global meets, with Rudy Winkler, Daniel Haugh and Alex Young representing the U.S. again at the World Championships.

Winkler, the American record holder, won his fourth national title in seven years with a second-round effort of 259-4 (79.04m).

Haugh, who prevailed last year at Hayward Field, placed second with a fifth-round performance of 253-5 (77.24m). Young achieved a fourth-round mark of 248-11 (75.87m) to take third.

Winkler, who is No. 2 in the world this year, is scheduled to compete in Poland against global leader Wojciech Nowicki in his final tuneup before the Aug. 19-27 event in Budapest.

Maggie Ewen, the world leader in the women’s shot put, secured her first championship since 2018 with a sixth-round performance of 65-4.50 (19.92m). Ewen is trying to also qualify Sunday in the hammer throw final.

Adelaide Aquilla, winner of NCAA Division 1 indoor and outdoor titles in her career at Ohio State, qualified for her third consecutive U.S. national team by placing second with a sixth-round mark of 62-5 (19.02m).

Jalani Davis of Ole Miss tied reigning World champion Chase Ealey with a 61-1.25 (18.62m) effort, but took third overall based on a better second mark.

The U.S. roster has the potential to have four entries in the women’s shot put, with Ealey earning the automatic berth to compete in Budapest based on last year’s global gold medal at Hayward Field.

Marquis Dendy captured his first long jump national title since 2015 with an opening-round leap of 26-8.50 (8.14m).

Jarrion Lawson continued his inspirational recovery from a ruptured patella tendon to place second with a final-round effort of 26-8.25 (8.13m).

JuVaughn Harrison took another step toward potentially qualifying again in both the long jump and high jump, just like he did in Tokyo, taking third overall with a wind-aided second-round performance of 26-6.25 (8.08m).

Curtis Thompson secured his third career javelin crown, punctuating the victory with a sixth-round throw of 265-6 (80.92m).

Capers Williamson placed runner-up with a second-round effort of 258-10 (78.91m) and Georgia standout Marc Anthony Minichello, the 2022 NCAA Division 1 champion representing Penn, took third with a fifth-round performance of 256-1 (78.07m).