The women’s sprints and hurdles at USAs will be a collision of the old and new guard across all five events. Recent NCAA stars like Sha’Carri Richardson and Angie Annelus will try to fend off their more experienced counterparts with a mixture of youth and superior 2019 results, while new pro Sydney McLaughlin will look to do the same as she goes for her first U.S. 400m hurdles title.

Of course, there will be upsets and surprises. A World Championship team is on the line, after all. A successful season can live or die based on where an athlete finishes relative to the top three.  An added bonus for the women’s sprints this year: the surprising entry of 26-time global medalist Allyson Felix in the 400m. Felix has yet to race this year after the birth of her child in late 2018, but her appearance adds a layer of intrigue to an already enthralling portion of this year’s national championships.

Here’s what to watch in the women’s sprints/hurdles at the 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines:

Women’s 100m

Favorite: Sha’Carri Richardson

Challengers: Aleia Hobbs, English Gardner, Teahna Daniels, Kayla White, Tori Bowie, Ashley Henderson

Breakdown: 19-year-old breakout star and collegiate record holder Sha’Carri Richardson is the women’s 100m favorite by virtue of her remarkable 10.75 at NCAAs on June 8, but her inexperience leaves her vulnerable to more established stars like Aleia Hobbs and English Gardner. Richardson could only manage an 11.15 at Prefontaine, so it’s unclear what fitness she’ll be in at Des Moines. Hobbs is the defending champion and she beat the teen star handily when they matched up at Pre on June 30. 

The wildcard in the field is reigning world champion Tori Bowie, who has a meager 11.22 best in 2019. With her free pass to Worlds it doesn’t matter what she does at USAs, but she’ll want to be better than what she’s shown. Gardner has had a similarly slow start to her 2019, but the 10.74 performer did beat Bowie at Pre.

Complicating Factors: Bowie has the bye as defending world champion, so this event will get four entries. It’s no guarantee that Bowie finishes in the top four, however, given her current fitness.

Women’s 200m

Favorite: Angie Annelus

Challengers: Jenna Prandini, Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Kayla White, Phyllis Francis, Teahna Daniels, Tori Bowie

Breakdown: The women’s 200m currently has what feels like an artificial gap between the top two women in the U.S.-- NCAA champion Angie Annelus (22.16) and her runner-up, Sha’Carri Richardson (22.17)-- and the rest of the field. Not artificial because the two 2019 collegians aren’t legitimate contenders to win the national title, but because the performance margin between them and pros like Jenna Prandini, Gabby Thomas and Tori Bowie is still so wide heading into USAs. Prandini is the defending U.S. champion, but her 22.53 season’s best-- the top time among non-2019 collegians in the country-- leaves her well back from Annelus and Richardson.

Prandini and Thomas have each run sub-22.20 as recently as last year, but they’ll have to drop loads of time from what we’ve seen so far to get there this weekend. Maybe Annelus and Richardson can’t match what they did in Austin, but there’s little doubt that the pros will still have to be better to win a national title in Des Moines.

In that sense, something seems likely to give in Des Moines: this year’s NCAA stars have a big challenge in front of them to maintain the magic of NCAAs, while the pros have a similarly tough task of overcoming the margin they have yielded in the event. Either way it goes, the women’s 200m is bound to surprise as athletes like Annelus and Richardson look to maintain their form-- not an easy thing to do nearly two months post-NCAAs-- while the established guard tries to get back on track.

Complicating Factors: What in the world will we see from 2017 U.S. champion Deajah Stevens, who hasn’t raced outdoors at all this season? And as she is in the 100m, Tori Bowie is a massive wildcard in the 200m. Bowie’s 21.77 from two seasons ago is the fastest PB in the field.

Women’s 400m

Favorite: ?

Challengers: Wadeline Jonathas, Shakima Wimbley, Courtney Okolo, Jessica Beard, Kendall Ellis, Allyson Felix, Chloe Abbott

Breakdown: I deliberately avoided picking a favorite in the women’s 400m, because truthfully, there isn’t one. As in the 100m and 200m, a collegian has the top time in this event this season-- NCAA champ Wadeline Jonathas (50.60)-- but even so, the time isn’t fast enough to suggest Jonathas can outrun a field of experienced professionals.

But the problem is that the pros have done a whole lot of nothing so far in 2019. Defending champion Shakima Wimbley has not broken 51 seconds yet, Courtney Okolo has been wildly inconsistent, and new mom/medal savant Allyson Felix has not raced in over a year. The mystery extends to the 2018 U.S. silver and bronze medalists-- Jessica Beard and Kendall Ellis, respectively-- both of whom have yet to break 51 seconds in 2019 as well. (Reigning 400m world champion Phyllis Francis has a bye and will compete in the 200m in Des Moines.)

So, if you have an idea for a favorite here, please let me know @lincolnshryack on Twitter. My DMs are open.

Complicating Factors: Allyson Felix. Just the fact that the million-times over global medalist is racing suggests she believes she has a good shot at making the team. But even against this weak field, that’s going to be a heavy lift for the 33-year-old. She just had a baby in November and hasn’t raced since June of 2018. That’s a tough road to becoming one of the three best 400m runners in the country. But then again, this is Allyson Felix and I would be a fool to count out arguably the greatest female track athlete ever.

Women’s 100m Hurdles

Favorite: Kendra Harrison

Challengers: Brianna McNeal, Nia Ali, Sharika Nelvis, Christina Clemons, Chanel Brissett, Tonea Marshall

Breakdown: Aside from a couple championship failings, world record holder Kendra Harrison has been the best high hurdler in the world for the last three years. The two-time defending U.S. champion has been her usual dominant self in the lead-up to USAs, and Harrison’s perfect 7-0 record this season plus her 12.43 season’s best puts her well ahead of her compatriots entering Des Moines.

I don’t foresee anyone beating Harrison based on her current momentum, but this is U.S. women’s high hurdling we’re talking about, so world-class challengers are in strong supply as usual. Reigning Olympic champion Brianna McNeal has yet to put it all together in the hurdles this season, but there’s no doubt she’s getting there after running an 11.20 100m PB on June 29. McNeal ran 12.50 or faster in the high hurdles on six occasions last year.

Behind those two, Nia Ali and Christina Clemons are strong contenders to make the team. Each woman made it in 2017 and both have top five times in the U.S. this season. Beyond them, collegians Chanel Brissett and Tonea Marshall have marks in the 12.5s as well in 2019. Inexperience against such a loaded field puts the NCAA stars at a huge disadvantage, though.

Complicating Factors: Harrison will have a great shot to win the Diamond League title in September, which means this event could flex to four entries when all is said and done. These athletes will still want to finish top three to be 100-percent sure, but the fourth-place finisher shouldn’t book a Hawaiian vacation during the World Championships just yet.

Women’s 400m Hurdles

Favorite: Sydney McLaughlin

Challengers: Dalilah Muhammad, Shamier Little, Ashley Spencer

Breakdown: Teenage sensation Sydney McLaughlin has so far delivered on her sky high promise in her first season as a pro. An Olympian at 16 and the world junior record holder two years later (52.75), McLaughlin has taken the logical next step by becoming the top 400m hurdler in the world throughout the early part of 2019. The 19-year-old enters Des Moines fresh off a 53.32 world lead in Monaco and having not lost a 400m hurdles race since 2017.

Of course, that last loss suffered by McLaughlin was at the 2017 USATF final where she placed sixth in the deepest women’s 400m hurdles race in history. An improved McLaughlin will nonetheless face a tough test against a field with many of the same players from the 2017 final, including reigning Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad. The 29-year-old was beaten by McLaughlin in Oslo in June, but the three-time global medalist has been consistent all year and, oh yeah, she’s the sixth-fastest woman ever (52.64). Muhammad isn't conceding the U.S. 400m hurdles crown to the youngster just yet. Either way, the winner of their match-up in Des Moines could very well eclipse the 52.47 American record that has stood for eight years.

Beyond the top two, Shamier Little and Ashley Spencer have similar credentials to each other-- each has one global 400m hurdles medal and both have PBs from that famous 2017 U.S. final. Little has a slight edge with a faster PB and better track record of late, but the fight for the final spot to Doha probably comes down to these two.

Complicating Factors: 2017 World champion Kori Carter has a bye and will not compete in this event at USAs. The Americans will have four female 400m hurdlers at the World Championships, but it’s top three or bust for those racing in Des Moines.