GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, April 18–19 — When we last saw World and Olympic champ Noah Lyles and newly crowned World Indoor 60 champ Jordan Anthony together, the veteran was playfully handing over his mock boxing-style title belt over to the new pro, 7 years his junior, after Anthony won the USATF 60 in New York on March 01.
Anthony would go on to win gold in Poland later in the month, while Lyles stayed home and got married soon thereafter. Saturday at the Tom Jones Memorial, the adidas training partners were back on the oval — not competing against each other, but each claiming blazing individual triumphs before combining for a hot 4 x 100. They created a trio of highlights during an electrifying weekend of sprinting, hurdling and stick work in Gainesville, for pros, collegians and even preps alike.
Anthony rolled to victory in the first section of the Olympic Development 100, with a wind-legal PR 9.91 (0.5), shutting it down early and earning a decisive win over Courtney Lindsay (10.02). At twice the distance, Lyles showed fine post-nuptial form, zipping to a 19.91 ahead of new pro Max Thomas (19.98).
A pair of preps also authored stunning performances in subsequent sections of those OD events. Tate Taylor (Harlan, San Antonio, Texas) took down Lyles’ 200 HSR from ’16 with his 20.05 (0.7). His training partner Jake Odey-Jordan (Clemens, Schertz, Texas) ripped a windy 9.94 (3.3) to move to =No. 6 all-conditions prep performer.
Both high-schoolers got to join their pro counterparts in a blazing OD 4×1. Odey-Jordan ran third leg on a Gainesville Elite squad that included Anthony, Trayvon Bromell and Lyles — which won with 37.78 — while Taylor joined the USA White squad that was 3rd with 37.97.
There was some great action of the one-lap variety as well. The OD 400 saw Canadian and Georgia alum Christian Morales Williams rip a WL 44.30, just ahead of the PR 44.38 from Brazil’s 2022 world champion in the 400H, Alison dos Santos. It was Morales Williams’ best time since his 44.05 PR in the SEC meet almost two years ago. And speaking of hurdles, the meet also marked a return to near-top form for 400 hurdler Trevor Bassitt, whose 47.82 was his first time under 48 since July ’24.
There was no return more eye-opening, though, than that of Michael Norman, the ’22 world 400 champion who hadn’t competed at all since the Paris Olympics. He led off his runner-up Gainesville Elite squad (2:58.50) in the 4×4 with a reported 44.7, behind a PURE Athletics team anchored by new indoor WR-setter and 400 silver medalist Khaleb McRae (44.13).
The fast marks weren’t limited to the pros and preps; the collegians were red hot, too. Auburn junior Kayinsola Ajayi — who took the NCAA indoor 60 title in a =CR 6.45 — showed out with a 9.90w triumph (2.9) ahead of Auburn teammate Israel Okon (9.95). The Tigers skipped the 4×1, though, which went to Minnesota in 38.82.
Over the 110 hurdles, Samford soph Bradley Franklin broke through in a big way. First, he was runner-up in his heat with a big PR 13.24 behind defending NCAA champ Ja’Kobe Tharp’s 13.09 (0.7); then, with Tharp sitting out the final, Franklin smoked a monster, wind-aided 13.07 (2.7) that elevated him to No, 6 on the college all-time, all-conditions list.
JONES MEMORIAL MEN’S RESULTS
100: I(2.9)–1. *Kayinsola Ajayi’ (Aub-Ngr) 9.90w; 2. **Israel Okon’ (Aub-Ngr) 9.95w; 3. *Jaiden Reid’ (LSU-Cay) 10.01w.
II(2.0)–1. ***John Caleb’ (Mn-Ngr) 10.00 PR; 2. **Adekalu Fakorede’ (MsSt-Ngr) 10.04 PR; 3. ***Kyler Brown (OhSt) 10.12 PR; 4. *Miles Jones (Ky) 10.12 PR; 5. Nazzio John’ (OhSt-Grn) 10.13.
Elite 100: I(0.5)–1. Jordan Anthony (adidas) 9.91 PR; 2. Courtney Lindsey (Nike) 10.02; 3. Sam Blaskowski (StarA) 10.09.
III(3.3)–1. Jake Odey-Jordan’ (TxHS) 9.94w (a-c: =6, =7 HS; a-c: =10, x WJ);
2. Cameron Crump (unat) 10.02w; 3. Joe Fahnbulleh’ (Lbr) 10.12w.
200: V(1.6)–1. **Israel Okon’ (Aub-Ngr) 20.27w.
Elite 200: I(1.6)–1. Noah Lyles (adidas) 19.91; 2. Max Thomas (OnRun) 19.98 PR; 3. Makanakaishe Charamba’ (Zim) 20.28.
II(0.7)–1. Tate Taylor (TxHS) 20.05 HSR (old HSR 20.09 Noah Lyles [VaHS] ’16; 7, x WJ; 2, x AJ);
2. Alison dos Santos’ (Bra) 20.39 PR.
IV(1.0)–1. Cheickna Traore’ (CI) 20.14.
400: I–1. **Josiah Wrice (SC) 44.72. II–1. *Samuel Vessat’ (Pur-Fra) 44.94. III–1. **Devan Crumpton (SC) 44.93.
Elite 400: I–1. Christopher Morales Williams’ (Can) 44.30 (WL);
2. Alison dos Santos’ (Bra) 44.38 PR; 3. Elija Godwin (adidas) 45.03.
II–1. Jenoah McKiver (OnRun) 45.37.
800: I–1. ***Peter Narumbe’ (TxAM-Ken) 1:45.05; 2. *Harry Ross-Hughes’ (MsSt-GB) 1:45.62; 3. Samuel Navarro (MsSt) 1:46.11; 4. Reece Sharman-Newell’ (TxAM-GB) 1:46.14; 5. *Miguel Pantojas’ (Fl-PR) 1:46.44. II–1. Mohamed Kowa’ (TCU-Sud) 1:45.84; 2. ***Stefon Dodoo (TxAM) 1:46.46.
110H(2.7): 1. **Bradley Franklin (Samf) 13.07w (a-c: =6, =8 C);
2. Ja’Qualon Scott (TxAM) 13.41w; 3. Matthew Sophia’ (LSU-Neth) 13.47w; 4. Zach Extine (FlSt) 13.48w.
Heats: IV(0.7)–1. *Ja’Kobe Tharp (Aub) 13.09 (x, 10 C);
2. Franklin 13.24.
Elite 110H(0.8): 1. Orlando Bennett’ (Jam) 13.33; 2. Connor Schulman (unat) 13.36.
400H: 1. Jevon Williams (unat) 49.99.
Elite 400H: I–1. Trevor Bassitt (adidas) 47.82 (WL AL);
2. Gerald Drummond’ (CR) 49.39; 3. Jake Minshull’ (GB) 49.50.
II–1. Scott 48.22 (AL, CL);
2. *Ryan Matulonis (Penn) 49.42; 3. Marc Anthony Ibrahim’ (Tn-Lbn) 49.53; 4. Yeral Nunez’ (DR) 49.63. III–1. **Josiah Johnson (NnAz) 49.67; 2. Prior Ochonogor’ (Ia-Ngr) 49.83.
IV–1. Chris Brinkley (Tx) 49.92. V–1. *David Thid’ (Al-Swe) 49.82.
4 x 100: I–1. Minnesota 38.82; 2. Texas Tech 38.89.
II–1. Ohio State 39.04.
4 x 100: 1. Gainesville Elite 37.78 (WL) (Anthony, Bromell, Odey-Jordan’, Lyles);
2. USA Red 37.86 (Lindsey, Bednarek, King, Thomas);
3. USA White 37.97 (Coleman, Baker, Taylor, Austin);
4. PURE Athletics’ 38.22 (Olatunde’, Erius’, Traore’, Yang’);
5. Gainesville Elite 38.65 (Brown’, De Grasse’, Schulman, Harding);
6. USA Blue 38.73 (Blaskowski, Hicklin, Stewart, Carnes);
7. USA Silver 38.95 (Blacknell, Boling, Smith, Moore).
4 x 400: I–1. Texas 3:04.10; 2. Virginia Tech 3:04.48; 3. Baylor 3:05.15.
Inv 4 x 400: 1. Texas A&M 3:01.56); 2. LSU 3:02.53; 3. Florida 3:03.22; 4. Ohio State 3:03.23; 5. Alabama 3:03.81.
Elite 4 x 400: 1. PURE Athletics 2:57.33 (Robinson, Richards’, Dean 44.23, McRae 44.13); 2. Gainesville Elite 2:58.50; 3. USA Gold 3:03.62.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Brion Stephens (Ga) 7-1¾ (2.18).
PV: 1. *Ismaila Sawaneh’ (Tn-Fra) 18-8¼ (5.70) PR; 2. Cade Gray (Tn) 18-½ (5.50); 3. **Samuel Abati (Tx) 18-½.
LJ: 1. Jeremiah Davis (Puma) 26-6¼ (8.08); 2. *Charles Godfred’ (Mn-Ngr) 26-6¼ (8.08); 3. Jordan Turner’ (LSU-Jam) 26-6¼ (8.08); 4. Marquis Dendy (Puma) 26-3½ (8.01).
TJ: 1. Theo Mudzengerere’ (Ky-Zim) 55-2¾ (16.83) PR; 2. Salif Mane (unat) 54-9¼ (16.69).
SP: 1. **Roury McCloyen (MsSt) 64-4 (19.61) PR; 2. *Michael Pinones (Tx) 64-3 (19.58).
DT: 1. Emanuel Sousa’ (Por) 207-7 (63.27); 2. *Shamar Reid’ (FlSt-Jam) 207-0 (63.10) PR; 3. Trevor Gunzell’ (Al-Jam) 205-3 (62.57).
HT: 1. Anthony Barmes’ (Mn-NZ) 238-5 (72.66) PR; 2. Decio Andrade’ (Por) 234-11 (71.61).
JT: 1. Chinecherem Nnamdi’ (TxAM-Ngr) 277-10 (84.68) NR (CL) (4, 8 C);
2. Jack Larriviere (LSU) 258-1 (78.66); 3. *Leikel Cabrera Gay’ (Fl-Cub) 248-7 (75.78); 4. Jordan Davis (Ga) 247-9 (75.51).
