One of the enduring questions around the 2019 track season has centered on timing. How, with a World Championship that doesn’t begin until late September, would athletes approach their season so they could peak in fall as opposed to mid-summer? 

The late World Championships had ripple effects across the entire schedule. The U.S. Championships are at the end of July this year as opposed to their normal late June slot.  It’s an adjustment for everyone, but it’s particularly drastic for NCAA athletes. Typically, they’d have two weeks between their collegiate championships and USAs. In 2019, it’s seven weeks. 

While the timing might not be ideal, the talent is great enough in the NCAA that collegians will still leave an imprint on USAs. 

Here’s a short list of the those who have the best chance of qualifying in the running events to the World Championships. Included are athletes who competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this year, regardless if they have subsequently decided to turn professional. Of course, not all athletes will decide to run USAs. 

To the list!

Grant Holloway

Since the beginning of 2016, only three men have broken 13 seconds. Holloway, Sergey Shubenkov and Omar McLeod. Holloway is the only American in that group with his 12.98 at NCAAs, and thus, will be a safe bet to make his first U.S. team. Running against Daniel Roberts all year was the best type of preparation as the two combined for the top six times of the year, and nine of the first 11. 

Daniel Roberts

Holloway rightfully got most of the headlines, but look at this series of races: 13.00, 13.06, 13.07, 13.13. If you take out Holloway, only two men in the world have run faster than 13.13, and neither are American. The next fastest American this year, Freddie Crittenden, has a season-best of 13.36. This event will no doubt tighten when it gets closer to USAs, but Roberts is still a big favorite to make the team. 

Sha’Carri Richardson

Richardson sits tops in the world in the 100m and second in the 200m. Even if she isn’t able to replicate her 10.75 this year, she’s in a good position to keep her dream season alive and advance to the World Championships. Tori Bowie, the best 100m woman in the United States over the past several years, has a bye to the World Championships, freeing up an extra spot for the Americans. 

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Angie Annelus

Annelus ran 22.16, the fastest time in the world, to edge Richardson by .01 at NCAAs. Much like the 100m, the women’s 200m looks wide open at the moment. Jenna Prandini and Gabby Thomas ran 22.16 and 22.19 last year, but nobody else has asserted themselves in 2019. If Bowie rounds into form in the 100m, chances are she will be good in the 200m as well. That still leaves two qualifying spots open. It's not a given, but if Annelus decides to extend her season, there’s no reason she can’t work herself into the mix for a trip to Doha. 

Cravon Gillespie 

Divine Oduduru brought his best stuff to Austin which meant that Gillespie’s 9.93 and 19.93 were only good enough for second place. But, the marks still stood as lifetime bests and Gillespie is now on the short list of the best sprinters in the United States. There’s plenty of star power at the top of both of those events in the United States with Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles casting long shadows. 

But there is some opportunity for Gillespie to work his way into the conversation, especially in the 100m. Lyles and Coleman are the only Americans who have run faster and Justin Gatlin’s win in 2017 at the World Championships gives the U.S. an extra entrant. 

Kahmari Montgomery

Montgomery’s 44.23 at the NCAA Championships is the second-best time in the world. He also has U.S. Championship experience after winning the title last year in Des Moines. Michael Norman will be the heavy favorite, but after him, there could be a heavy NCAA flavor. 

Trevor Stewart 

He was a close second to Montgomery in Austin, just .02 seconds back. He’s also remarkably consistent. Stewart ran between 44.25 and 44.55 five times this year. If he can bottle that for late July, he’s got a shot. 

Wil London 

London has the blueprint for succeeding at this meet. In 2017, he rebounded from an eighth-place finish at NCAAs to get third at USAs. It was an incredible turnaround that put him on a World Championship team at the age of 19. This year, he won’t need that much of a bounce back. London was third at NCAAs in 44.63. Six Americans have run faster than that this year, but likely only four (Norman, Montgomery, Stewart and Fred Kerley) will contest the 400m at USAs.  

Bryce Hoppel 

If he runs at USAs, Hoppel’s 19 race win streak that is more than a year old will be tested by a strong U.S. field. Hoppel is running out of his mind right now and the seven-week layoff between NCAAs and USAs is a tough break. His 1:44.41 in Austin was a personal best and he’s shown a keen ability to put himself in the right position to optimize his kick. Donavan Brazier is the only American to run faster than him this season. 

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Devin Dixon

Dixon was beaten by Hoppel, but his 1:44.76 from the SEC Championships is a mark only bettered by three Americans (Brazier, Hoppel and Clayton Murphy). Dixon has struggled in big races throughout his college career. Maybe a race where he’s not one of the favorites (and where third is as good as first) will work to his advantage. 

Chanel Brissett

Janeek Brown’s 12.40 stole the show, but Brissett put up a 12.52 in Austin, third best in the world in 2019. Keni Harrison is the only American who has run quicker this year. As per usual, this event is stacked for the United State. Briana McNeal’s season has gotten off to a rough start, but Harrison, Sharika Nelvis and Christina Clemons have looked solid thus far. The U.S. might get a fourth bid if an American wins the Diamond League, but that won’t be known until later in the season. 

Quincy Hall

Hall’s 48.48 puts him fourth on the yearly list. Rai Benjamin, last year’s NCAA champion, is as close to a lock as you can get, but after that Hall can stake a claim as the next best. Like the 400m, this event could have a strong NCAA influence with Norman Grimes and Amere Lattin running 48.71 and 48.72 at NCAAs.

Dani Jones

After her 5000m victory, Jones said that part of her decision to run the 5000m during the collegiate season was to stay sharp for USAs. Now, she will turn her attention to the 1500m. She’s only run four races in all of 2019, a modest workload that will come in handy in late July. 

Wadeline Jonathas

No American has run faster than Jonathas in 2019. Her 50.60 was enough to win NCAAs and move her into the top tier of American women’s 400m running. It’s crowded up there with newcomers and veterans alike, but the U.S. does get four entrants by virtue of Phyllis Francis’ win in London.