Des Moines, Iowa – Three former members of the LSU track and field program – Vernon Norwood, Aleia Hobbs, Michael Cherry – earned bids to the 2019 IAAF World Championships over the weekend at the USATF Championships at Drake Stadium.
The 2019 world meet will take place this October in Doha, Qatar. Norwood and Cherry, both quarter milers, and Hobbs, a 100 meter dash sprinter, earned their trips to the world championships with top-six finishes in their events.
Norwood, who has competed at the world championships three times for the U.S. national team, took fourth in the 400 meters with a personal best of 44.40 on Saturday night. He ran his previous personal best of 44.44 in 2015. The fourth-place finish in the 400 meters for Norwood will assuredly make him a factor on USA’s 4×400 meter relay come October. Depending on a few other factors in the Diamond League, Norwood may also get to run in the open 400 meters at the World Championships; his time of 44.40 currently ranks as the seventh fastest in the world for 2019. Cherry will be in the relay pool for the 4×400 meter relay as well with a sixth-place finish in the 400 meter dash on Saturday night when he ran a season-best time of 44.69; it was his fastest time run since the 2017 season.
Hobbs took sixth place in the 100 meters with a time of 11.33. The top-six finish in the 100 meters will have Hobbs entered into the relay pool for the U.S. 4×100 meter relay at the World Championships.
Other Top 8 Finishes
Lynnika Pitts – Triple Jump – 13.50m (44′ 3.50”) – 4th Place
Cassandra Tate – 400m Hurdles – 54.91 – 5th Place
Tonea Marshall* – 100m Hurdles – 12.81 – 6th Place
Tzuriel Pedigo – Javelin – 73.44m (240′ 11”) – 6th Place
Sha’Carri Richardson – 100m Dash – 11.72 – 8th Place
*Marshall was the only collegiate hurdle to make the finals in the 100 meter hurdles