Brahe-Pedersen runs meet record with 11.08 wind-legal 100-meter dash, Cavanaugh triumphs in 400 hurdles and mixed 4x400, Roebke and Sprout prevail in 5,000, with Otterdahl and Ross victorious in shot put for Americans in Costa Rica

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Caleb Cavanaugh pulled double duty Friday for the United States and earned a pair of gold medals at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-23 Championships.

Mia Brahe-Pedersen enjoyed the first of what could be multiple sprint titles for the Americans at the National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

And the second choices for Cole Sprout and Layla Roebke proved to be just as strong as their first events en route to capturing distance championships as part of an 17-medal haul for the U.S. – including 11 golds – on the opening day of the three-day event.

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

Cavanaugh triumphed in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 49.35 seconds, then returned to the track two hours later to lead off the victorious mixed 4x400 relay, including former Georgia teammate and adidas professional Will Sumner, along with Central Florida’s Kiah Williams and USC’s Bailey Lear, with the quartet capping the schedule by clocking 3;14.71.

Brahe-Pedersen, a 17-year-old athlete who recently completed her junior year at Lake Oswego High in Oregon, produced the meet record by running a wind-legal 11.08 seconds in the 100-meter dash final.

Brahe-Pedersen, who ran a wind-aided 11.01 in the prelims, eclipsed the 2012 wind-legal mark of 11.19 by fellow American Aurieyall Scott in Mexico. Teahna Daniels won gold for the U.S. in 2019 in Mexico in a wind-aided 11.03.

The Americans achieved a sweep in the 5,000 during the morning session, with Stanford’s Sprout and Tulsa’s Roebke – both former Colorado state champions at Valor Christian and Niwot, respectively – taking advantage of a second choice after their original events were not part of the meet schedule.

Sprout qualified in the 10,000 for the U.S., but ran a meet-record 14:11.78, a significant improvement from the 2010 mark of 14:32.90 performance achieved by Mexico’s Diego Alberto Borrego in 2010 in Florida.

Roebke made the U.S. roster in the 3,000 steeplechase, but also adjusted to prevail in the 5,000 in 17:24.61.

Nebraska’s Jenna Rogers was the first gold medalist for the Americans, clearing 6 feet (1.83m) on her second attempt to triumph in the women’s high jump.

High Point’s Sydney Horn cleared a meet-record 14-5.50 (4.41m) in the women’s pole vault on her third attempt to surpass the 14-5.25 (4.40m) effort shared by fellow Americans Sandi Morris in 2014 and Megan Clark in 2016.

Texas A&M’s Heather Abadie, representing Canada, secured silver by clearing 12-11.50 (3.95m) on her second attempt.

Hana Moll, the reigning World U20 gold medalist and national prep outdoor record holder from Capital High in Washington, missed three attempts at her opening height of 13-11.25 (4.25m) and didn’t factor into the competition after placing third July 9 at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The U.S. achieved multiple 1-2 finishes during the afternoon session, including the men’s and women’s shot put competitions, in addition to the women’s 400-meter hurdles and men’s triple jump.

Nebraska’s Maxwell Otterdahl rallied in the sixth round with a mark of 63-8.25 (19.41m) to surpass Wisconsin’s Jason Swarens and his fourth-round effort of 62-5 (19.02m).

Oregon’s Jaida Ross also came up big in the sixth round with a 60-2.50 (18.35m) performance to secure victory in the women’s shot put, with Jalani Davis of Ole Miss earning silver with her opening-round mark of 56-5.25 (17.20m).

LSU’s Shani’a Bellamy ran a lifetime-best 55.48 to capture gold in the 400 hurdles, with Florida’s Vanessa Watson taking second in 56.05.

Russell Robinson of Miami (Florida) produced a wind-aided effort of 54-7.25 (16.64m) in the first round of the triple jump final, which held up for gold. Fairleigh Dickinson’s Salif Mane captured the silver for the Americans with a wind-legal jump of 54-1.25 (16.49m) in the second round.

Minnesota’s Shelby Frank was the silver medalist in the women’s discus throw final with a sixth-round performance of 186-10 (56.96m).

Cuba’s Melany del Pilar Matheus Morejon opened the competition with a 195-6 (59.60m) throw and never relinquished control to win gold.

Arkansas’ Ralford Mullings, representing Jamaica, achieved a second-round mark of 200-9 (61.18m) in the men’s discus competition to take the title.

LSU’s Jaden James, representing Trinidad and Tobago, earned the silver medal with a sixth-round effort of 175-10 (53.59m). UCLA’s Aidan Elbettar grabbed the bronze for the U.S. with his final attempt of 174-7 (53.21m).

Jamaica’s Adrian Kerr won the men’s 100 final in a wind-legal 10.08 seconds, with Sam Blaskowski of Wisconsin-La Crosse finishing fifth in 10.34 and Louisiana Tech’s Rodney Heath, Jr. earning eighth for the Americans in 10.63.

Jadin O'Brien of Notre Dame accumulated 3,541 points to take the lead for the United States following four events in the women’s heptathlon.

Michelle Smith of Montverde Academy in Florida, representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, captured 400-meter hurdles gold in the Under-18 competition in a meet-record 56.99.