EUGENE -- Day Five of IAAF World Junior Outdoor Championships brought a Saturday special of four medals, three golds and one bronze, as both 4x100 meter relay teams lived up to the hype and defeated the world at Historic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
 
The men’s 4x100 quartet of Jalen Miller, Trayvon Bromell, Kendal Williams and Trentavis Fridayheld nothing back en route to the gold medal. Miller (Tunica, Miss.) of the University of Mississippi ran a superb opening leg to make up ground on Jamaica to the outside, before handing off to Baylor’s Bromell (St. Petersburg, Fla.), who blitzed the back straightaway and passed off in the lead to Williams. Williams (Jacksonville, Fla.) was clearly the best on the curve and despite a tenuous handover to Friday (Cherryville, N.C.), Team USA was in good hands with the 200m champion, who destroyed the field on the way to a 38.70. With the win, Team USA clocked the third fastest time in world junior history, earning the  fourth consecutive win in a row for the U.S. in the event and the ninth in World Juniors history.
 
In similar fashion, the women’s 4x100m of Teahna Daniels  (Gainesville, Florida), Ariana Washington (Long Beach, California), Jada Martin (Lithonia, Georgia)and Kaylin Whitney(Clermont, Florida) blew away the field, finishing in 43.46 for gold, the eighth-fastest time in world junior history. Daniels maintained the stagger and Washington made up ground on the back stretch before LSU’s Martin blew it wide open on the third leg. She passed off to 200m champion Whitney who blazed the final straight to give Team USA its sixth-straight gold in the event, and the ninth overall.
 
Shamier Little (Chicago, Illinois) of Texas A&M  led a 1-3 finish in the 400m hurdles, as both she andJade Miller (Temecula, California) of Harvard made the podium. Little was just behind Shona Richards of Britain through five hurdles, but at hurdle six she moved ahead slightly. By the time she cleared the seventh barrier, she was in a commanding position to win in 55.66. Miller continued to move up as they headed down the home stretch, and she finished third with a huge lifetime best of 56.22.
 
Devin King (Kentwood, Louisiana) was in fourth place of the men’s pole vault after five jumps, clearing the fifth with room to spare at 5.30m/17-4.5. King made his next two heights on his first attempts, then took two tries to clear 5.50m/18-0.5, good for No.6 on the all-time high school list. His third attempt at 5.55m/18-2.5 was agonizingly close, but King finished out of the medals in fourth.
 
Marshay Ryan (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) of Auburn moved to No. 7 on the U.S. all-time Junior list in the women’s triple jump on her second attempt, when she set a PR of 13.53m/44-4.75. Four jumps later she improved in the final round, powering out to a 13.60m/44-7.5 that elevated her to fifth on the all-time U.S. Junior list and placed her seventh.
 
Keturah Orji (Budd Lake, New Jersey) had her best effort on her first jump, riding a strong 5.1 mps wind to a 13.29m/43-7.25, but that was not enough to get her into the final eight, and she finished ninth.
 
Ryan Njegovan (East Sandwich, Massachusetts) of St. Francis nearly matched the lifetime best he set in qualifying with his 59.56m/195-5 in round two of the men’s discus, and that mark placed him eighth.Kord Ferguson (Ottawa, Kansas) was just short of making the top eight, finishing ninth with a best of 59.54m/195-4.
 
Running in extremely hot conditions In the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Elinor Purrier(Montgomery, Vermont) of the University of New Hampshire finished in 10:21.59 for ninth place.
 
Dior Hall (Denver, Colorado) took a commanding first place in the opening semifinal of the women’s 100 meter hurdles. Hall finished in a wind-assisted 13.09 for the automatic qualifier before teammateKendell Williams (Marietta, Georgia) of Georgia dominated the second heat from start to finish, also for a place in the finals. Williams ran a wind-aided 12.98 to lead all heats.
 
The women’s 4x400m relay team of Shakima Wimbley (Coral Gables, Florida.), Felecia Majors(Lorton, Virginia.), Aaliyah Barnes (Columbus, Ohio) and Olivia Baker  (South Orange, New Jersey) made quick work of heat two, keyed by a 52.42 third leg by Barnes.
 
Wimbley of the University of Miami was third coming into final straightaway on the first lap but moved up to get the first handoff. On the last curve of leg two, the University of Tennessee’s Majors was stride for stride with Nigeria before easing ahead to make the handoff first. On lap three, Ohio State’s Barnes ran a very strong leg that kept the U.S team ahead before passing the baton to Baker, who won bronze in yesterday’s 400m final. With a sizeable lead, the American easily finished first in 3:32.73, the fastest Junior time in the world this year.
   
Matching their teammates, the men’s 4x400m relay also had an easy road to qualifying for the final.Josephus Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia) opened up with a very solid leg to remain shoulder to shoulder with Botswana, handing off just slightly ahead to Ricky Morgan (Woodbridge, Virginia) on the second lap. Morgan pushed the U.S. ahead over the final 50m to give Team USA a better lead as Miles Parish(Rancho Cucamonga, California) of the University of Arizona extended and solidified that lead on the third carry. On the anchor leg,  Michael Cherry (Chesapeake, Virginia) of Florida State added further distance from the field and crossed the line at a world junior-leading 3:03.97, almost four seconds ahead of Botswana in second.
 
After the first 200 meters of the third men’s 800m semifinal, Tre’tez Kinnaird (Louisville, Kentucky.) of Indiana moved into first place, a position he never relinquished. Kinnaird established himself on the inside and kept nearly a stride advantage through the next 500 meters before turning on his kick for a comfortable first place and a 1:48.04, the fastest time of the day.
 
With eight golds and 17 total medals, the Americans are well clear of Russia and France (three golds each) and Kenya (11 total medals) with one day remaining at IAAF World Junior Championships.
 
TEAM USA MEDALS (17)
 
GOLD (8)
 
Kendal Williams, men's 100m
Mary Cain, women's 3,000m
Kaylin Whitney, women’s 200m
Trentavis Friday, men’s 200m
Kendall Baisden, women’s 400m
Shamier Little, women’s 400m hurdles
Women’s 4x100m relay (Teahna Daniels, Ariana Washington, Jada Martin, Kaylin Whitney)
Men’s 4x100m relay (Jalen Miller, Trayvon Bromell, Kendal Williams, Trentavis Friday)
 
 
SILVER (4)
 
Trayvon Bromell, men's 100m
Desiree Freier, women's pole vault
Raven Saunders, women’s shot put
Valarie Allman, women’s discus
 
 
BRONZE (5)
 
Kaylin Whitney, women's 100m
Braheme Days, men's shot put
TJ Holmes, men’s 400m hurdles
Olivia Baker, women’s 400m
Jade Miller, women’s 400m hurdles