Vance Nilsson Races To 400-Meter Hurdles Gold, Bryce Ruland Wins Men's Discus As U.S. Finishes With 16 Medals

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

World Athletics Photos

The United States U20 team capped its five-day experience at the World U20 Championships by winning the final two gold medals on the track, in the men's and women's 4x400 relays. 

Zaya Akins took the baton from Josie Donelson (Lake Oswego OR/Vanderbilt) and ran down Australia's Sophia Gregorevic to win the women's 4x400 in 3:30.74. Michaela Mouton (Houston) and Olivia Harris carried the baton on the first two legs for the U.S. 

Akins, of South Carolina, had already won a bronze medal in Wednesday's women's 400 meters final. Mouton reached the final and was eighth. Harris, a freshman from Buford GA, was one of the youngest athletes in the meet. 

Australia was second in 3:31.47 and Great Britain was third with 3:32.80.

The men's team got the stick around in 3:03.56 with a lineup of Jayden Davis, Xavier Donaldson, Alexander Rhodes and Sidi Njie. 

Davis, of Arizona State, and Njie, of Westlake High in Georgia, were the silver and bronze medalists from the 400 meters final. Donaldson, of Princeton, and Rhodes, of NCAA D3 Puget Sound, helped the U.S. defeat South Africa (3:05.22) and Australia (3:05.53). 

In the men's 400-meter hurdles, Vance Nilsson (Gilbert AZ/Florida) edged out Michal Rada of the Czech Republic to win in 49.26 seconds. That's faster than Kenneth Ferguson's 2002 national high school record of 49.36, but it is unclear whether Track and Field News will recognize Nilsson's time as the record as he is already enrolled in college. 

Bryce Ruland got the final session started for the U.S. with a gold medal performance in the men's discus. The graduated senior from Waterford WI threw a personal best 62.59m (205-4) to defeat Jarno VanDaalen of The Netherlands (62.22m). 

Ruland launched his best throw in the first round and then added a 62.44m throw in the sixth round, the second-farthest throw of the competition. 

Ethiopia's Saron Berhe won the gold medal in the women's 1,500 meters but she was pressed to the finish by recent Ann Arbor MI graduate Rachel Forsyth, representing Canada. Berhe ran 4:16.64 for the win and Forsyth was next to cross in 4:17.94.

In the men's 1,500 meters, Ethiopia's Abdisa Fayisa held off Australian Cameron Myers for the win, 3:40.51 to 3:40.60. Carter Cutting (BYU) was fifth in 3:43.36 and Trent McFarland (Michigan) was seventh in 3:44.32.

The U.S. suffered another disqualification in the 4x100 relay as the women failed to medal in the final. The U.S. and Australia were both DQ'd for passing outside the exchange one. Jamaica won the gold with 43.39 seconds, led by 100-meter champion Alana Reid. 

Jamaica edged out Great Britain, 39.18 to 39.20, for gold in the men's 4x100. Jake Odey-Jordan (Archbishop Carroll DC) contributed to the silver medal for Team GB.

Cheyla Scott of Oregon finished 10th in the women's high jump. Angelina Topic of Serbia won the gold by clearing 1.91m (6-3.25).

Meta Tumba of France and Wiktoria Gadajska from Poland ran national U20 records on the way to gold and silver in the women's 400-meter hurdles. Tumba ran 55.59 seconds and Gadajska ran 56.87. American high schooler Jasmine Robinson (North Cobb GA) was disqualified for hooking a hurdle. 

Edmund Serem and Matthew Kosgei gave Kenya a gold-silver finish in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Serem won the final in 8:15.28. 

Wyatt Haughton (BYU) was sixth for the U.S. in a personal best time of 8:38.34.

Sharifa Davronova of Uzbekistan won the women's triple jump with 13.75m (45-1.50).