Mike Rodgers wasn't going to be slowed by a slight headwind as he captured the 100 meters at the US Track and Field Championships.
Rodgers claimed his first national title by clocking a 10.09 seconds to beat runner-up Ryan Bailey who ran a 10.23 at Hornet Stadium. Sean McLean was third in 10.26.
Rodgers won his heat earlier in the day with a time of 9.80, but that time he had the wind at his back.
"I am just blessed and happy the track is fast. I hope to come back here soon," Rodgers said. "I just tried to be aggressive throughout my race and once I got to the end I knew I was the best man."
Rodgers beat a depleted field Friday as American stars Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin skipped the USA championships.
The 29-year-old Rodgers thinks this result will get their attention.
"Hopefully Tyson and Gatlin will have seen what I did here," Rodgers said.
Tianna Bartoletta won the women's 100 meter title with a time of 11.15. Her path to victory was made easier when Olympic gold medal winner Allyson Felix and rising star Tori Bowie both pulled out of the event.
Barbara Pierre (11.27) was second and Lekeisha Lawson (11.30) placed third.
Bowie, who suffered an apparent ankle injury in her heat, ran the fastest time of the semis with a 10.91.
Trey Hardee easily won the decathlon with a 2014 world-leading score of 8,599 points.
Earlier this month, Hardee won the decathlon at a meet in Austria with 8,518 points.
The 30-year-old American won the silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
His personal best is 8,790 points, established at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
Bernard Lagat won the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:31.41 to earn his seventh US crown.
Molly Huddle ran a 15:01.56 to capture the women's 5,000 meters.
Jenn Suhr claimed her sixth national title in pole vault as she cleared 4.60 meters.
Sharon Day will get a chance to defend her US women's heptathlon crown when the event continues on Saturday. Day has a 123 point lead.
Source: AFP