FREEPORT, Bahamas — American women swept the top two spots on the medal stand in three events Saturday to lead Team USATF to 15 total medals, seven of them gold, on the second day of the 5th NACAC Athletics Championships at Freeport Stadium – Grand Bahama. The U.S. leads the medal table with 24 total and 12 golds.
Last year’s World Indoor Championships bronze medalist, Emily Mackay, took control of the women’s 1500 with two laps to go and went on to lead a 1-2 U.S. finish, winning in 4:09.48 with Dani Jones nabbing silver in 4:10.49. Mackay, who will compete next month at the World Championships in Tokyo after placing third at the USATF Championships, let Canada’s Lucia Stafford take the pace over a slowish first two circuits and then eased into the lead and wasn’t challenged on the way to the finish.
Sanaa Barnes had a clean card through 1.91/6-3.25 in the women’s high jump to capture gold ahead of 2022 champion and meet record holder Vashti Cunningham, who went over that height on her third attempt to earn silver. U.S. women also filled the top two steps on the podium in the javelin, with Evie Bliss taking gold at 58.62/192-4 and Madison Wiltrout earning silver at 58.33/191-4.
All three of Janee’ Kassanavoid’s legal throws in the women’s hammer would have been good enough to win, and her top effort of 74.31/243-9 in round five gave her victory by more than 16 feet. Janeah Stewart placed fourth at 64.32/211-0.
The bronze medalist in 2022, CJ Allen improved his medal dramatically in the men’s 400 hurdles, outlasting Jamaica’s Malik James-King to take gold in 48.22. James-King, an Olympic semifinalist at Paris last summer, clocked 48.28 for silver, while Aldrich Bailey was fifth in 48.88.
Four-time USATF champion Nia Akins took the measure of St. Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney in the women’s 800, running 1:59.75 to win by .23 seconds. Akins won the USATF Indoor Championships in February and was fourth at the USATF Outdoor Championships. BYU’s Meghan Hunter ended up fifth in 2:00.67. Maloney went to the front and led through the first lap, with Hunter on her heels and Akins not far behind in fourth. The two Americans moved up to challenge Maloney down the backstretch and Akins sneaked through on the inside down the final 100 to claim victory over a tiring Maloney.
Drama in the final event of the men’s decathlon saw the leader after nine events, Kendrick Thompson of the Bahamas, disqualified from the 1500, opening the door for Austin West to take the title with a score of 8,038 points. Thompson had a 113-point edge over West going into the 1500 but got zero points after his DQ, placing second with 7,515.
In the highest quality event of the Championships thus far, five men in the 800 final shattered the meet record, led by Handal Roban of St. Vincent, who zoomed to a stunning 1:42.87 for gold. Brandon Miller took the lead and carried the field through the bell in just over 50 seconds. Miller continued to hold the lead down the final backstretch, extending his margin over Jamaica’s Nevasky Anderson to three full strides, with Roban even farther back. Roban steamed off the final turn and caught Miller with only a few meters to go, taking the win as Miller settled for silver in 1:43.15, missing his PB by only .01.
Gabi Jacobs garnered silver in the women’s discus in the morning session with a best of 57.07/187-3, and Will Williams took silver in the men’s long jump at 7.96/26-1.5. USATF champion Isaac Grimes was sixth behind Williams, spanning 7.77/25-6. Nick Christie took bronze in the men’s 20,000 race walk with a time of 1:32:15.3, one place ahead of Emmanuel Corvera, and Olympic and World Championships medalist Will Claye earned men’s triple jump bronze in the evening session with a best of 16.36/53-8.25.
Other action on the oval saw Katie Burnett place fourth in the women’s 20,000 race walk in 1:45:16.4, and Jessica Wright take sixth in the women’s 400 hurdles in 55.72.
Results are available here.
TEAM USATF MEDALISTS (24)
GOLD (12)
Alyssa Jones, women’s long jump (6.74/22-1.5)
Josh Awotunde, men’s shot put (21.68/71-1.5)
Andrew Hunter, men’s 5000 (14:38.85)
Taylor Roe, women’s 10,000 (32:19.84)
Daniel Haugh, men’s hammer (77.08/252-10)
Janee’ Kassanavoid, women’s hammer (74.31/243-9)
Sanaa Barnes, women’s high jump (1.91/6-3.25)
CJ Allen, men’s 400 hurdles (48.22)
Nia Akins, women’s 800 (1:59.75)
Emily Mackay, women’s 1500 (4:09.48)
Evie Bliss, women’s javelin (58.62/192-4)
Austin West, men’s decathlon (8,038)
SILVER (10)
Sam Mattis, men’s discus (64.06/210-2)
Dylan Beard, men’s 110 hurdles (13.39)
Cooper Teare, men’s 5000 (14:38.89)
Rudy Winkler, men’s hammer (76.87/252-2)
Gabi Jacobs, women’s discus (57.07/187-3)
Will Williams, men’s long jump (7.96/26-1.5)
Vashti Cunningham, women’s high jump (1.91/6-3.25)
Brandon Miller, men’s 800 (1:43.15)
Dani Jones, women’s 1500 (4:10.49)
Madison Wiltrout, women’s javelin (58.33/191-4)
BRONZE (2)
Nick Christie, men’s 20,000 race walk (1:32:15.3)
Will Claye, men’s triple jump (16.36/53-8.25)