WALNUT, CALIFORNIA – The 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, presented by Toyota, opened in record-breaking fashion courtesy of Hunter Woodhall (Syracuse, Utah), and Noelle Lambert (Manchester, New Hampshire), who set Americas Records in the men’s 100-meter T62 race and women’s long jump T63, respectively. The Paralympians’ historic marks set the tone to open the three-day competition at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. Sac) in Walnut, California.

Athletes are competing for roster spots on the 2024 world championships team, which will represent the United States at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships this May in Kobe, Japan. The top 30 U.S. athletes from this weekend’s national championships will earn the right to compete in Kobe.

Woodhall’s record came in validating fashion after an equipment malfunction at last summer’s world championships that prevented him from competing in the 400-meter, his signature event. In his first Para competition since the heartbreak at Paris 2023, he soared to an 11-second 100-meter.

“I’m just so happy,” Woodhall said. “It’s so validating. It was a hard lesson to learn at worlds, but it was something I needed, and to see the outcome of that today was just so validating. It means the world to have my team here supporting me, it’s what the sport’s all about and makes the moment so special.”

Lambert, a 2020 Paralympian, added long jumping to a competition slate that previously only included sprints. This was her first time jumping at a championship-level event, and she made the most of it, smashing the previous Americas record of 4.10 meters with a best mark of 4.75.

Lambert is seeking her first world championships berth after finishing sixth in the 100-meter competition in Tokyo at her Paralympic debut.

Another athlete making a triumphant return to the track today was three-time Paralympic medalist Kym Crosby (Yuba City, California), who captured national titles in the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter T13 competitions in her first races since the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Crosby has battled injuries since winning double bronze in Tokyo, but returned to the track today in her quest to make her fourth world championships team.

“I definitely have some more work to do, but it really feels good to be back,” she said. “I’m just so happy to be back and be healthy. My goals are to stay focused and trust the process. It’s a busy year, and I’m taking it head on.”

In one of the closest races of the day, Paralympian Beatriz Hatz (Lakewood, Colorado) edged teammate and 2023 Parapan American Games champion Sydney Barta (Arlington, Virginia) in the women’s 200-meter T64 by just .04 seconds. In the same event in Chile in November, Barta took home gold with a Parapan Ams record. Hatz later captured her second national title of the day by winning the women’s long jump T64.

In the women’s 200-meter T47, three-time Paralympic medalist Brittni Mason (Cleveland, Ohio) took home gold. Mason is the defending world champion in the 200-meter, and is set to compete in the 100-meter, in which she won Paralympic silver, this weekend.

Three-time Paralympic medalist Noah Malone (Fishers, Indiana), who won the 100-meter T12 world championship title in Paris, won the national title in today’s 100-meter T12 competition. The former Indiana State University athlete also won the men’s 100-meter open race, sprinting to a final time of 10.78 to win the mixed-class event.

After winning two world titles in his international debut last summer, Jaydin Blackwell (Oak Park, Michigan) made a bid for his second career worlds team with a strong showing in the men’s 100-meter T38 and open races. Blackwell won the T38 race handily in 10.76, while finishing in 11.02 in the open competition, second to only Malone.

In throwing events, Paralympic medalists Josh Cinnamo (San Diego, California) and Justin Phongsavanh (Des Moines, Iowa) captured national titles in the men’s shot put F46 and javelin F54, respectively. Long jumps were highlighted by gold medals from five-time Paralympic medalist Lex Gillette (Raleigh, North Carolina), who was crowned the men’s long jump T11 champion, reigning world champion Isaac Jean-Paul (Evanston, Illinois), who won the T13 competition, and Paralympian Taleah Williams (Norfolk, Nebraska), who was the women’s T47 champion.

A highly anticipated men’s high jump competition saw Roderick Townsend (Stockton, California), Derek Loccident (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) and Ezra Frech (Los Angeles, California) crowned national champions. It was Loccident’s first time competing as a high jumper after the former Division I football player won silver in long jump at the 2023 world championships, and he captured his second national title of the day in the 100-meter T64. Townsend and Frech, meanwhile, are the defending world champions in the T46 and T63 classes, respectively.

Competition resumes on Saturday at 9 a.m. and will be streamed live at USParaTF.org and on the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field Facebook page. Follow U.S. Paralympics Track & Field on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and results from the weekend.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

Medalists – March 15, 2024

Men’s 5000m T53

1. Wyatt Willand

Men’s 5000m T54

1. Miguel Jimenez-Vergara

2. Dustin Stallberg

3. Jacob Allen

Men’s Long Jump T13

1. Isaac Jean-Paul

2. Tyson Gunter

3. Joshua Fields

Men’s Shot Put F57

1. Anthony Pone

Women’s Shot Put F32

1. Peyton Maniago

Women’s Shot Put F34

1. Beth Grauer

2. Elicia Meairs

Men’s Shot Put F12

1. Devin Huhta

Men’s Shot Put F40

1. Benjamin Foos

Men’s Shot Put F46

1. Josh Cinnamo

2. Greg Stewart (CAN)

Men’s Shot Put F63

1. Carson Fox

2. Desmond Jackson

Men’s 5000m T11

1. Irwin Ramirez

Men’s 5000m T13

1. Noah Scherf

2. Caleb Howard

Women’s 200m T13

1. Kym Crosby

2. Kadence Hammer

3. Alaina Gott

Women’s 200m T35

1. Brianna Salinaro

2. Delaney Nolin

3. Madeline Gustafson

Women’s 200m T36

1. Jordan McGuire

Women’s 200m T37

1. Taylor Swanson

2. Michelle Cross

3. Janie Richardson

Women’s 200m T38

1. Catarina Guimaraes

Women’s 200m T46

1. Brittni Mason

2. Emily Lopez

Women’s 200m T47

1. Sai Tsuji (JAP)

Women’s 200m T44

1. Annie Carey

Women’s 200m T64

1. Beatriz Hatz

2. Sydney Barta

3. Chloe Chavez

Men’s 200m T35

1. Marshall Zackery

2. Matthew Paintin

3. Austin Spalla

Men’s 200m T37

1. Tucker McCrady

Women’s 800m T34

1. Elicia Meairs

2. Lauren Fields

3. Maria Velat

Men’s 800m T53

1. Aidan Gravelle

2. Wyatt Willand

Men’s 800m T54

1. Miguel Jimenez-Vergara

2. Dustin Stallberg

3. Jacob Allen

Women’s 800m T53

1. Chelsea Stein

Women’s 800m T54

1. Autumn Fought

2. Aerelle Jones

3. Isabelle Hogness

Men’s Long Jump T11

1. Lex Gillette

Men’s 100m Open Ambulatory

1. Noah Malone

2. Jaydin Blackwell

3. Korban Best

Men’s 100m Open Wheelchair

1. Robert Hunt

2. Tyler Gunnarson

3. Aidan Gravelle

Women’s 100m Open Ambulatory

1. Kym Crosby

2. Taylor Swanson

3. Sydney Barta

Women’s 100m Open Wheelchair

1. Chelsea Stein

2. Isabelle Hogness

3. Lauren Fields

Women’s Long Jump T36

1. Jordan McGuire

Women’s Long Jump T37

1. Aubrey Jumper

2. Janie Richardson

3. Madison Hahs

Women’s Long Jump T38

1. Catarina Guimaraes

2. Tianna Rissling

Men’s High Jump T46

1. Roderick Townsend

Men’s High Jump T47

1. Nishad Kumar (IND)

Men’s High Jump T63

1. Ezra Frech

2. Mariyappan Thangavelu (IND)

3. Sam Grewe

Men’s High Jump T64

1. Derek Loccident

Women’s Discus F56

1. Autumn Fought

Women’s Club Throw F32

1. Peyton Maniago

Men’s Shot Put F36

1. Ismael Estrada

2. Samuel Winter

Men’s Shot Put F37

1. Ben Brandt

2. Kaidhyn Stockdale

Women’s Javelin F34

1. Elicia Meairs

Women’s Javelin F56

1. Autumn Fought

Men’s 100m T11

1. Antoine Craig

2. David Brown

3. Lex Gillette

Men’s 100m T37

1. Tucker McGrady

Men’s 100m T38

1. Jaydin Blackwell

2. Ryan Medrano

3. Nick Mayhugh

Women’s 100m T13

1. Kym Crosby

2. Kadence Hammer

3. Alaina Gott

Men’s 100m T12

1. Noah Malone

Men’s 100m T13

1. Isaac Jean-Paul

2. Joshua Fields

Women’s Long Jump T61

1. Erina Yuguchi (JAP)

Women’s Long Jump T63

1. Noelle Lambert

2. Lindi Marcussen

Women’s Long Jump T46

1. Emily Lopez

2. Mata Conde (GUI)

Women’s Long Jump T47

1. Taleah Williams

Women’s Long Jump T44

1. Annie Carey

Women’s Long Jump T62

1. Lily Rosenthal

Women’s Long Jump T64

1. Beatriz Hatz

2. Chloe Chavez

Men’s 100m T44

1. Mathurin Gagnon

2. Timothy Donnan

Men’s 100m T62

1. Hunter Woodhall

2. Blake Leeper

3. Lucas Jundt

Men’s 100m T64

1. Derek Loccident

2. Kevin Hueftle

3. Jonathan Gore

Women’s Shot Put F35

1. Cathryn Gray

Women’s Shot Put F36

1. Jordan McGuire

Women’s Shot Put F37

1. Janie Richardson

2. Sophya Soriano

3. Margaret Beaudoin

Men’s Javelin F54

1. Justin Phongsavanh

Americas Records from Woodhall, Lambert Highlight Opening Day of 2024 National Championships

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