Nikki Hiltz captured her fourth consecutive 1,500-meter US outdoor title while Noah Lyles and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden cruised into the 200m finals on Saturday at the US Athletics Championships.
Hiltz won in dramatic fashion, crossing the finish line in 4:06.92 with Addy Wiley .04 of a second behind and Emily Mackay third in 4:06.98.
The 31-year-old Californian has also won four US 1,500m indoor titles in a row, giving Hiltz a US record eight-title streak overall with her victory at New York’s Icahn Stadium.
“I love this city. My mom is from Long Island so I feel like a little part of me is from here,” Hiltz said.
It was her grandmother being in the audience, however, that motivated Hiltz over the final strides.
“She doesn’t come to a lot of meets so I had to perform,” Hiltz said. “That last 50 I told myself this is for grandma.”
Reigning world 200m champion Lyles, a four-time world champion at the distance, advanced to the 200m final by taking his qualifying heat in 20.51 seconds after a Friday night 100m final victory.
“The legs are tired,” Lyles said. “But that’s what the prelims are for. By the end of the day I’ll have gotten my rest, seen my medical crew and we’ll be ready for the final.”
Lyles, 29, holds the American 200m record of 19.31 seconds from the 2022 World Championships at Eugene.
Jefferson-Wooden, who won 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles at the 2025 worlds, began defending her US 200m crown by advancing to the final in 22.50, slowing before the finish line but owning the fastest qualifying time.
“The biggest thing today was to come out here and focus on getting out hard, holding it and feeling my frequency through the turn and once I come off the turn just trust in the ability I’m strong enough to conserve as much energy as possible,” Jefferson-Wooden said. “I think I did a good job of that.”
Sandi Morris, a four-time world pole vault runner-up who took silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won the women’s crown at age 34 by clearing 4.90m.
She set the bar at 5.01, trying to break her American outdoor record of 5.00 set in 2016 at Brussels, but failed on three attempts.
Chase Jackson, a two-time world champion, captured her fifth US women’s shot put title in a row and sixth overall with an effort of 20.55m. She has also won four US indoor crowns.
– ‘It means the world’ –
Alia Armstrong captured the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.38 seconds, edging Alaysha Johnson by .04 of a second.
“It means the world to me,” she said. “I’ve been grinding. I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to do in practice. The work is showing.”
Anna Cockrell, the Paris Olympic runner-up, led women’s 400 hurdles finalists in 53.65.
Aaliyah Butler, a member of the reigning world and Olympic champion US 4×400 relays, won her first US 400m crown in 49.93, beating Alexis Holmes by .54 of a second.
Chris Bailey, a world and Olympic champion in the 4×400 relay, won the men’s 400m crown in 44.39 after Justin Robinson crossed the line in 44.31 but was disqualified for stepping on the lane lines.
Curtis Thompson won the javelin with a throw of 87.59m.
Nathan Green, a two-time US college champion, won his first US 1,500m crown in 3:50.27, edging Vincent Ciattei by .05 of a second.
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