# 1979 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 1979 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place between June 16–17 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. The decathlon took place on June 3–4. This was the last time the meet was organized by the AAU. Their status as the national governing body was terminated at the end of the year as a result of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. They were replaced by the newly formed organization The Athletics Congress, hosting the meet at this same location.

## Results
### Men track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters | James Sanford | 10.07 | Harvey Glance | 10.15 | Emmit King | 10.16 |
| 200 meters | Dwayne Evans | 20.27 | Don Coleman | 20.39 | Cliff Wiley | 20.44 |
| 400 meters | Willie Smith | 45.10 | Tony Darden | 45.14 | Bill Green | 45.51 |
| 800 meters | James Robinson | 1.45.82 | Agberto Guimarães Brazil Mike White | 1.46.5h 1.47.06 | Mark Enyeart | 1.47.4h |
| 1500 meters | Steve Scott | 3.36.40 MRm | Don Paige | 3.37.33 | Todd Harbour | 3.40.20 |
| 5000 meters | Matt Centrowitz | 13.40.8 | Wilson Waigwa Kenya Herb Lindsay | 13.42.1 13.42.5 | Stan Mavis | 13.43.1 |
| 10000 meters | Craig Virgin | 27.39.4 AR | Rick Rojas | 28.24.2 | Frank Shorter | 28.26.6 |
| Marathon (42.195 km.) | Tom Antczak | 2.15.28 | Scott Eden | 2.16.21 | Richard Mahoney | 2.17.25 |
| 110 m Hurdles | Renaldo Nehemiah | 13.19 MRm | Dedy Cooper | 13.46 | Charles Foster | 13.59 |
| 400 m Hurdles | Edwin Moses | 47.89 | Quentin Wheeler | 48.39 | James Walker | 49.13 |
| 3000 m Steeplechase | Henry Marsh | 8.33.1 | Bill McCullough | 8.33.8 | Greg Meyer | 8.35.8 |
| 5000 m walk | Dan O'Connor | 21:46.6 | | | | |
| 20 km walk | Neal Pyke | 1:27:11 | | | | |

### Men field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High Jump | Franklin Jacobs | 2.26 m (7 ft 4+3⁄4 in) | Ben Fields | 2.26 m (7 ft 4+3⁄4 in) | Reynaldo Brown | 2.20 m (7 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
| Pole Vault | Mike Tully | 5.50 m (18 ft 1⁄2 in) | Billy Olson | 5.50 m (18 ft 1⁄2 in) | Greg Woepse | 5.40 m (17 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Long Jump | Larry Myricks | 8.28 m (27 ft 1+3⁄4 in)w | Carl Lewis | 8.09 m (26 ft 6+1⁄2 in)w | Randy Williams | 8.05 m (26 ft 4+3⁄4 in)w |
| Triple Jump | Ron Livers | 17.56 m (57 ft 7+1⁄4 in)w | Willie Banks | 17.43 m (57 ft 2 in)w | James Butts | 16.91 m (55 ft 5+1⁄2 in)w |
| Shot Put | Dave Laut | 21.11 m (69 ft 3 in) | Al Feuerbach | 20.64 m (67 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | Colin Anderson | 20.43 m (67 ft 1⁄4 in) |
| Discus Throw | Mac Wilkins | 70.66 m (231 ft 9 in) CR | Ken Stadel | 69.26 m (227 ft 2 in) | Knut Hjeltnes Norway John Powell | 68.88 m (225 ft 11 in) 67.33 m (220 ft 10 in) |
| Hammer Throw | Scott Neilson Canada Boris Djerassi | 72.06 m (236 ft 5 in) CR 68.73 m (225 ft 5 in) | Andy Bessette | 67.31 m (220 ft 10 in) | Emmitt Berry | 67.10 m (220 ft 1 in) |
| Javelin Throw | Duncan Atwood | 81.86 m (268 ft 6 in) | Rod Ewaliko | 80.47 m (264 ft 0 in) | Bill Schmidt | 80.14 m (262 ft 11 in) |
| Decathlon | Bobby Coffman | 8154 | John Crist | 8149 | John Whitson | 7798 |

### Women track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters | Evelyn Ashford | 11.01w | Brenda Morehead | 11.13w | Chandra Cheeseborough | 11.33w |
| 200 meters | Evelyn Ashford | 22.07w | Valerie Brisco | 22.53w | Brenda Morehead | 22.75w |
| 400 meters | Patricia Jackson | 52.37 | Sharon Dabney | 52.52 | Sherri Howard | 52.54 |
| 800 meters | Essie Kelley | 2.02.3 | Julie Brown | 2.02.6 | Madeline Manning | 2.02.8 |
| 1500 meters | Francie Larrieu | 4.04.6 MR | Mary Decker | 4.06.8 | Julie Brown | 4.09.4 |
| 3000 meters | Francie Larrieu | 8.53.8 MR | Janice Merrill | 8.54.0 | Julie Brown | 8.58.3 |
| 10000 meters | Mary Shea | 32.52.5 | Joan Benoit | 32.52.5 | Amy Laffoon | 34.31.0 |
| Marathon (Houston) | Sue Peterson | 2.46.17 | Donna Burge | 2.54.15 | Pat Albert | 2.56.57 |
| 100 meters hurdles | Debbie LaPlante | 12.86 AR | Candy Young | 12.95 | Stephanie Hightower | 13.09 |
| 400 meters hurdles | Edna Brown | 57.60 | Debra Melrose | 58.33 | Debbie Esser | 58.68 |
| 10,000 m walk | Sue Broddock | 50:32.8 | | | | |

### Women field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High Jump | Deborah Brill Canada Louise Ritter | 1.93 m (6 ft 3+3⁄4 in)MR 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄4 in) | Pam Spencer | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | Coleen Reinstra | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Long Jump | Kathy McMillan | 6.49 m (21 ft 3+1⁄2 in)w | Jane Frederick | 6.44 m (21 ft 1+1⁄2 in)w | Patricia Johnson | 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)w |
| Shot Put | Maren Seidler | 19.09 m (62 ft 7+1⁄2 in) AR | Ann Turbyne | 17.00 m (55 ft 9+1⁄4 in) | Kathy Devine | 16.06 m (52 ft 8+1⁄4 in) |
| Discus Throw | Lynne Winbigler | 57.73 m (189 ft 4+3⁄4 in) | Lorna Griffin | 56.56 m (185 ft 6+3⁄4 in) | Ria Stalman Netherlands Helene Connell | 55.42 m (181 ft 9+3⁄4 in) 52.53 m (172 ft 4 in) |
| Javelin Throw | Kathy Schmidt | 62.81 m (206 ft 3⁄4 in) | Cathy Sulinski | 54.63 m (179 ft 2+3⁄4 in) | Lynn Cannon | 52.83 m (173 ft 3+3⁄4 in) |
| Pentathlon | Jane Frederick | 4506 | Themis Zambrzycki Brazil Jodi Anderson | 4445 4354 | Linda Waltman | 4123 |