Best-Ever Girls Hurdle Field Produces National Record, Finals Upset
Freshman Tia Jones broke the national high school record in the 100m hurdles in the first preliminary section -- and, the first event! -- of Day 2 at the USATF Junior Nationals. The ninth grader at Walton High School in Ga. lowered her lifetime FAT, wind-legal best from 13.14 (+0.7) to an astounding 12.84 (+1.2) to set a new national high school record, world youth record, age 15 world record and tie the world junior record.
Jones, who won New Balance Nationals Outdoor in the short hurdles as an eighth-grader in 2015 but finished "just" third this year, is the third prep female to break 13 seconds in the event. The others are Candy Young (No. 3 all-time, 12.95) and Dior Hall (No. 2 all-time, 12.92).
A national record was perhaps inevitable, as the all-star field included six of the top ten all-time prep hurdlers. Chanel Brissett seemed to have the upper hand coming in, as the New Balance Nationals champion and formerly No. 3 all-time ranking of 13.01. Others on the list include Tonea Marshall (No. 5 all-time, 13.04), Brandeé Johnson (No. 6 all-time, 13.08), Jones (previously No. 7 all-time, 13.14) Jasmyne Graham (tie-No. 9 all-time, 13.17) and Anna Cockrell (tie-No. 9 all-time, 13.17).
That depth meant that Jones couldn't relax for the final.
And she didn't -- she clocked her second-fastest FAT, wind-legal time ever in 13.05 (+0.3). But Alexis Duncan, the Texas Class 6A state champion, was just a hair better at 13.04 (+0.3)
Duncan was nearly speechless after the effort.
"I'm going to Poland!" she said. "I did not think I was gonna make this team... [Tia] ran that 12.8 and Chanel ran 13.0 and I had never run 13.0. I'm going to Poland!"
Duncan now ties fellow Texan Marshall for No. 6 on the all-time list.
The University of Texas commit said that she's been in a funk ever since her last world team -- the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships -- where she ran the fastest times in qualifying rounds but placed a disappointing seventh in the final.
