USA Track & Field – News – Weekend Roundup – Jan. 9, 2017 – Hayes sets American indoor record in 300m at Clemson

CLEMSON, South Carolina — 2016 USATF Indoor champion and World Indoor bronze medalist Quanera Hayes (Hope Mills, North Carolina) broke the indoor 300m American record Saturday at the Orange and Purple Classic.

Hayes turned in a time of 35.71 to break in Clemson’s new indoor track surface and surpass Portland 2016 teammate Natasha Hastings’s (Brooklyn, New York) previous record of 36.25 from the 2016 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. In the same race, Candace Hill (Conyers, Georgia) finished in 36.86 for the fastest 300m indoors by a junior in U.S. history.

2000 Olympic Team head coach Chaplin, 2016 USATF President’s Award recipient Lanker named to Washington State Track & Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame

TACOMA, Washington — 2000 Olympic Team head coach John Chaplin and 2016 USATF President's Award recipient & longtime USATF volunteer Linda Lanker were named to Washington State Track & Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The addition of Chaplin, who made his biggest impact on the sport during 27 years at Washington State University, and Lanker, a nationally recognized hurdles coach who continues to be a much-loved mentor in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, were inducted Saturday evening. Lanker is only the third female to be inducted.

Howe Violett & Ricks win USATF 100 km Trail Championships

BANDERA, Texas — Former USATF 50k Trail Champion Stephanie Howe Violet (Bend, Oregon) dominated both the women and men’s fields to win the USATF 100 km Trail Championships in 9:08:35, followed by first-time national champion Justin Ricks (Colorado Springs, Colorado) in 9:13:11.

Howe Violet’s course-record performance was a significant rebound after suffering from achilles issues in 2016. Despite a display of over 1,500 markers, several competitors veered off course and two early leaders in the men’s field eventually dropped out. Both Howe Violett and Ricks earned entry to the 44th Western States Trail 100-Mile Endurance Run later this year.

Eatons meet decathlon fan Matt Damon at 2017 Golden Globes

LOS ANGELES — Newly retired Olympic medalists Ashton Eaton (Portland, Oregon) and wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton spent their first post-athletics weekend at star-studded events celebrating the 2017 Golden Globes. On Saturday, the duo was joined by several fellow track and field Olympians at “Gold Meets Golden,” a brunch hosted by Nicole Kidman to bring together professional athletes and Hollywood actors.

The following evening, the Eatons met decathlon fan and movie star Matt Damon while walking the awards ceremony red carpet. Damon and Will Smith participated in a surprise video for Ashton during the 2016 Olympic Games where Damon commented that, “…Jason Bourne would be a decathlete.”

USA Track & Field – News