Hello everyone. I’m back again for day 3 of the USATF Outdoor Championships. It’s starting early today, and yes, it’s also still very hot.

If you have a television, you can watch Saturday’s competition starting at4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET on NBC. It concludes Sunday, June 25: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, NBC.

If you missed out on any of Day 1’s action, have no fear. I sat in the sun and blogged more than 4,000 words just for you.

If you missed Day 2’s action, I blogged less words, but not because there was any less excitement.

A full list of entries can be found here:

Live results are located here.

Finally, it’s not too late to brush up on the drama that’s about to go down this weekend, featuring Molly Huddle and a whole lot more. Download The Citius Mag 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships Zine for an event-by-event preview, and get live updates throughout the meet through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Onto today’s action!

2:59pm: Hey everyone. I was sitting around waiting for the next event to start, but it turns out that the competition for today is over. I guess I could stick around and watch the junior races, but the beauty of missing teens racing, is that one day a few of them will become professionals and we’ll get the chance to watch them then. No harm no foul. So that’ll be it for me.

Please feel free to email me if I hurt your feelings, or said something so terribly uninformed that it is unforgivable (Ryan@citiusmag.com)

2:55pm: Running into a headwind the world record holder flexed and showed us why she’s the best. Kendra Harrison is your US Champ with Nia Ali and Christina Manning rounding out the team.

2:53pm: I refuse to predict this race.

women’s 100 meter hurdles final

2:46pm: Wow everyone, I couldn’t have been more wrong with my predictions, and I couldn’t be happier about it. SOME website bias, we Paul Snyder’s ol’ teammate and friend of the site Johnny Gregorek ran a tremendously sound race, and went from 10th to 3rd over the course of the last 300m to secure a spot on his first world’s team.

The race in front was just as exciting. Ben Blankenship tried giving Centro the business with one lap to go, but ended up fading to 12th. This allowed Robby Andrews to unleash his kick, running the fastest final lap in 52.36. This propelled him past Centrowitz while Gregorek caught a fading Craig Engels. What a race.

2:39pm: Another shoe-eating prediction for this race. Who will make it? Here it is:

1. Matt Centrowitz
2. Ben Blankenship
3. Clayton Murphy

men’s 1500m final

2:34pm: Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of an update during the race. Nothing tremendously exciting outside of the first lap. The gun went off and everyone essentially looked at each other and said “are you sure we want to do this?” The answer was half of a groan and they collectively started running, but at a child’s pace. I think the first 400m was 75 seconds or slower.

After that Emma Coburn said enough funny business, and took the lead. This would be where she stayed. Eventually it became a four woman race, with the BTC duo of Frerichs and Quigley bringing NB’s Steph Garcia with them. Garcia would eventually stutter step herself out of the race. Not sure how you can continue to do this event with a timid approach to the hurdle. When the water settled on the 6th lap, Garcia became a non-factor and our 2016 Rio Steeple team now becomes the 2017 London Steeple Team.

Once again, I inaccurately picked the order of the finish, despite choosing all constituents correctly. My GI tract remains intact, friendos.

2:21pm: Yet another opportunity for me to eat a shoe. Will it happen? Probably not.

1. Emma Coburn
2. Colleen Quigley
3. Courtney Frerichs

Does this look familiar? Because those are your Rio Olympians. That’s right, I chose the clear favorites.

women’s 3000m steeplechase

2:16pm: Let’s fast forward to the last lap: Jenny Simpson assert herself as the leader. Kate Grace and Lauren Johnson go with her. Fighting hard to stay in contention was Sara Vaughn. Shannon Rowbury was back in 7th, a complete non factor. Coming around the home straight, Grace tried making a move on Jenny, but Jenny didn’t budge. Johnson started fading fast, and a very impressive Sara Vaughn charged on her, overtaking her the last 15m or so and finished third. So it went Simpson, Grace, and Vaughn.

Vaughn is a particularly interesting case. She has had a couple of children and continues to come back in world class shape. Arguably right now she is in the best shape of her life and when she crossed the line she was very excited. She’s the best storyline coming out of this final. What about her kids, I bet you’re wondering. Well we may be in store for for many fast Vaughns to come because her husband is Brent Vaughn, a US Cross Country champion and standout from the University of Colorado.

2:06pm: I’m giving my fans and detractors another opportunity to watch me eat my shoe by trying to accurately predict the final results.

1. Jenny Simpson
2. Shannon Rowbury
3. Kate Grace

women’s 1500m final

2:05pm: A significant aside: Bershawn Jackson has made every world championship team since 2003. He has lost his chance to make another one after failing to make a final.

Bershawn Jackson at Worlds
2003 – DQ in Heats
2005 – World Champ
2007 – Reached Semis
2009 – 3rd in Final
2011 – 6th in Final
2013 – DNF in Semis
2015 – Out in the heats

2:03pm: Kerron Clement and Quincy Downing and Michael Stigler and TJ Holmes are going to the final. They ran a very tight race that saw all of them abreast with 50m to go. Notable decathlete Curtis Beach finishes in 6th. He’s a great athlete folks.

1:59pm: I’m not a superstitious guy, but I may have jinxed Batman Jackson, because he finished 5th and will now now be in the final. In his place will be a new guard of 400m hurdlers: three college kids, and a veteran in Johnny Dutch. Announcer says that this is Batman’s last track season, so we have just witnessed one of track and field’s greatest 400m hurdlers finish his last USA Championships.

1:57pm: A brief aside: Bershawn Jackson has a very lengthy resume. He’s been good for almost 15 years.

men’s 400m semi final

1:50pm: No need to exert yourselves, ladies. The top three were far and away from the rest of the field and I watched McLaughlin essentially walk across the line in third place. Muhammad and Carter, who ran a very strong race from the gun, were the top two.

1:47pm: update from the stands:

1:45pm: The first heat was not very close. Only four women from each heat move on to the final, and there was no doubt who was going to make it after the first 200m.

women 400m hurdles semi finals

1:35pm: As predicted, our world number one wins his first US Championship. That’s Fred Kerley. He made his move with 150 to go. Gil Roberts ran a nice strong race, and Wil London III closed very hard, sniffing out a spot on the team and leaving Tony McQuay back home.

1:32pm: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN we have a false start. And it was anti-climactic because it’s just a green card to the field. Everything is fine. No need to panic.

1:31pm: QUICK PREDICTIONS

1. Fred Kerley
2. Gil Roberts
3. Michael Cherry

men’s 400m final

1:23pm: Hayes runs a lifetime best to get her spot on the team, dipping under 50 seconds. Phyllis Francis makes the team again, also going under 50 seconds. Kendall Ellis makes her first time, she’s in school at USC, and she also had to run a PR to do it. Notable omission from this team is Natasha Hastings, your world indoor record holder, and member of a lot of Team USAs over the last ten years. She was your early leader, but faded over the last 100m.

As you can see, my predictions were again incorrect. So I will not be eating my shoe. I’m sorry.

1:18pm: One of the things that I’ve failed to let you guys know is that they’ve been doing these WWE style introductions for each final. They beg everyone in this microwave stadium to direct their attention to the 100m start area. Then Metallica starts blaring out of the speakers and a new announcer, ostensibly one with a better stadium voice, takes over the mic and screams some very exciting facts about each athlete. It really riles up the crowd.

1:14pm: It’s another final, which means I get to make some predictions and you all get to see if I’m right. What happens if I’m right? I’ll eat my shoe and broadcast it on Facebook Live. So here goes:

1. Quanera Hayes
2. Shakimba Wimbley
3. Phyllis Francis

women’s 400m final

1:11pm: Four women from this heat will make. One of them is Kendra Harrison, your world record holder. Looks like Dawn Harper, a true veteran, also makes it in. This is well on its way to becoming a very good final.

1:05pm: Jasmin Stowers is not playing games. She ran 12.47. I’m not sure if that’s wind legal, but if it is she just ran a world no. 1

women’s 100m hurdles semi finals

1:03pm: Say what you want about the USATF, but they run a tight ship around here. Everything has been starting as scheduled, on the dot. If there’s anything I appreciate, it’s punctuality.

12:38pm: We have a break in the action. I’m not feeling particularly inspired so please enjoy one of my favorite pictures on the net:

12:28pm: This was the final heat. Everything, I think, went according to plan. I’m sorry, though I love the 200m, sometimes there’s not much to say about the race. Up next we’ll have some hurdling action, which has many more variables, and thus I should have more to say.

12:22pm: Gun didn’t go off but we have some sort of false start on the track. They had everyone stand up, but doesn’t look like anyone will be DQ’d. I’m not sure the rules on any of that anyway.

Allyson Felix is in this one. After failing to do well in the 100m, I’m sure she means business. What kind of business? Well she wins the heat pretty handily, running into a headwind of -1.5m/s.

12:17pm: Deajah Stevens of Oregon has already made her team, and so has Ariana Washington. They’re both ducks and they both went 1-2 in their opening heat. Destiny Carter will be going with them.

12:14pm: Bowie and Duncan go 1-2. But unlike the men’s prelim, they’re taking the top three, so Joanna Atkins will be advancing to semis with them.

women’s 200m prelim

12:08pm: Here are some unverified facts: the two auto qualifiers, Noah Lyles and Walter Dix, are the youngest and [2nd] oldest guys in the field. Which is great. Walter Dix was one of my favorite sprinters when I was in high school. I’m pretty sure he played football for FSU, and he also has two Olympic Medals from Beijing.

12:04pm: No Gatlin in this heat. But that’s alright by him, because he’s already made a team. Isiah Young ran the fastest time of the day so far, and a guy with a comic book villain name Dedric Dukes, got 2nd.

11:57pm: Fred Kerley didn’t start this one. He’s got business to take care of later in the 400m final. WIth him out of the picture, Ameer Webb was able to easily take the heat in what the announcer described as a “pedestrian 20.50.” Must be nice.

11:52pm: Oh no. Looks like LaShawn Merritt finished fourth. Hall-Thompson and Kyree King will get the auto. Merritt, will have to wait and see. If he doesn’t get out, though, he has the auto in the 400m. So either way we will see him in London. It would be a darn shame if we didn’t.

11:48pm: Christian Coleman in a slick lookin’ Nike kit cruises to 20.34 victory. Tyson Gay and Sean McLean (rhymes with John McLain) basically tie.

11:43pm: Coming up next is the 200m. It’s basically a continuation of the grudge match that is the 100m, as the athletes are more or less the same. Let me give you a brief run down of snap judgements from the start lists. Tyson Gay is here, a veteran who is probably out for blood. Just’N Thymes, that’s a ridiculous name I recognize from the 100m. Justin Gatlin is back. LaShawn Merritt is always fast. New pro Christian Coleman is here too. The best part, though, will be heat five, which features new fast boy Noah Lyles, and two old men of track and field Walter Dix and Wallace Spearmon.

men’s 200m dash prelims

11:38pm: A slew of veterans make it through automatically here. Including David Oliver, who should be everybody else’s favorite athlete as well.

11:36pm: Final heat of this opening round. Little known fact about me: my favorite athlete is David Oliver. He is in this heat. He was once described by Kevin Selby as “track and field’s best pair of shoulders.”

11:33pm: Aries Merritt gives us the fastest performance of these prelims so far.

11:32pm: Everyone’s favorite Olympic champion Aries Merritt is in this heat. He’s sporting a different haircut than the last time I saw him.

11:28pm: Devon Allen has no problem winning that heat. Looked like he was playin’ hopscotch. But unlike schoolyard hopscotch, this is the USATF Championships where we play for keeps.

11:26pm: Lanes 1-4-9 are empty in this 2nd heat. We have crowd favorite, and probably event favorite Devon Allen in this heat. Also a man from the University of Colorado, my beautiful alma mater, is in this heat. I’ll root for him.

11:24pm: Jaret Eaton false started in this one, but ran under protest. Your 2011 World Champion Jason Richardson looked good, running a seasons best of 13.65 and took the first heat.

Heat 1

Men’s 110m Hurdles

11:16pm: What’s there to look forward to today? Well if you’re in the stands, you’re looking forward to a reduced temperature. It’ll only be 98 degrees today, but the meet is starting any minute now, so the grandstands are very hot. You could probably cook an egg on em.

In terms of track action, we have the opening rounds of the 110m hurdles, the finals of the men’s and women’s 400m, the final of the men’s and women’s 1500m, the final of the women’s 3000m steeplechase, and the women’s 100m hurdle finals. Hold onto your butts, because we’re going for a ride.