# 1997 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 1997 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships was organised by USA Track & Field and held from June 20 to 24 at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The four-day competition served as the national championships in track and field for the United States and also the trials for the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens, Greece.
It was the third time that the stadium in Indianapolis had held the combined gender national track and field event. The USA Junior Championships were held in conjunction with the event.
Athletes that finished in the top three of their event and held the IAAF qualifying standard were eligible to represent the United States at the 1997 World Championships. The United States was able to send three athletes per event to the competition, provided they all met the A qualification standard. In addition, this was the first year to also allow the reigning world champions an automatic qualification separate from the national selection. That new rule was essentially created to allow Michael Johnson to qualify even though at the time of these championships he was unable to compete (and thus qualify) due to the injury he received in the Bailey–Johnson 150-metre race just two weeks earlier. Johnson did recover in time for the World Championships and did successfully defend his world championship. The World Championships national selection for the marathon and 50 kilometres walk were incorporated into the discrete national championship meets for those events. Selection for the relay races were made by committee.
Five Americans went on to win an individual gold medal at the 1997 World Championships; Johnson, Maurice Greene, Allen Johnson, John Godina and Marion Jones. In addition USA won the Women's 4 × 100 metres relay, and took silver in the 4 × 400 metres relay. The Men's 4 × 400 metres relay crossed the finish line in first, but was disqualified in 2009 following the admission of long term doping by Antonio Pettigrew.

## Results

Key: ≠ Not selected for World Championships in Athletics due to failure to reach IAAF qualifying standard within the specified time limit.

### Men track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters Wind +0.2 | Maurice Greene | 9.90 CR | Tim Montgomery | 9.92 | Michael Marsh | 10.03 |
| 200 meters Wind +1.0 | Jon Drummond | 20.23 | Kevin Little | 20.27 | Gentry Bradley | 20.49 |
| 400 meters | Antonio Pettigrew | 44.65 | Tyree Washington | 44.79 | Jerome Young | 44.83 |
| 800 meters | Mark Everett | 1.44.37 | Brandon Rock | 1.44.79 | Rich Kenah | 1.44.87 |
| 1500 meters | Seneca Lassiter | 3.45.85 | Karl Paranya | 3.46.78 | Jason Pyrah | 3.46.94 |
| 5000 meters | Bob Kennedy | 13.30.86 | Alan Culpepper | 13.48.90 | Brian Baker | 13.59.36 |
| 10,000 meters | Mike Mykytok | 28.34.92 | Reuben Reina | 28.34.93 | Pete Julian | 28.35.65 |
| 110 m hurdles Wind +0.6 | Allen Johnson | 13.25 | Reggie Torian | 13.28 | Terry Reese | 13.32 |
| 400 m hurdles | Bryan Bronson | 47.79 | Derrick Adkins | 48.00 | Joey Woody | 48.18 |
| 3000 m s'chase | Mark Croghan | 8.20.86 | Tom Nohilly | 8.23.66 | Pascal Dobert | 8.24.23 |
| 20 km walk | Curt Clausen | 1:27:12 | Andrew Hermann | 1:28:23 | Tim Seaman | 1:30:00 |

### Men field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High jump | Charles Austin | 2.31 m (7 ft 6+3⁄4 in) | Randy Jenkins | 2.28 m (7 ft 5+3⁄4 in) | Brian Brown | 2.28 m (7 ft 5+3⁄4 in) |
| Pole vault | Lawrence Johnson | 5.90 m (19 ft 4+1⁄4 in) | Dean Starkey | 5.85 m (19 ft 2+1⁄4 in) | Pat Manson | 5.80 m (19 ft 1⁄4 in) |
| Long jump | Joe Greene | 8.42 m (27 ft 7+1⁄4 in) | Erick Walder | 8.38 m (27 ft 5+3⁄4 in) | Kevin Dilworth | 8.29 m (27 ft 2+1⁄4 in) |
| Triple jump | Kenny Harrison | 16.97 m (55 ft 8 in) | LaMark Carter≠ | 16.76 m (54 ft 11+3⁄4 in) | Robert Howard | 16.62 m (54 ft 6+1⁄4 in) |
| Shot put | Randy Barnes | 21.37 m (70 ft 1+1⁄4 in) | John Godina | 21.19 m (69 ft 6+1⁄4 in) | C. J. Hunter | 21.07 m (69 ft 1+1⁄2 in) |
| Discus throw | John Godina | 67.38 m (221 ft 0 in) | Andy Bloom | 65.30 m (214 ft 2 in) | Adam Setliff | 63.35 m (207 ft 10 in) |
| Hammer throw | Kevin McMahon | 77.42 m (254 ft 0 in) | Jud Logan | 75.39 m (247 ft 4 in) | David Popejoy | 73.33 m (240 ft 7 in) |
| Javelin throw | Tom Pukstys | 83.97 m (275 ft 5 in) CR | Ed Kaminski | 79.91 m (262 ft 2 in) | Breaux Greer | 78.10 m (256 ft 2 in) |
| Decathlon | Steve Fritz | 8604 | Chris Huffins | 8458 | Shawn Wilbourn | 8268 |

### Women track events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 meters Wind -1.1 | Marion Jones | 10.97 | Chryste Gaines | 11.19 | Inger Miller | 11.21 |
| 200 meters Wind -0.1 | Inger Miller | 22.62 | Cheryl Taplin | 22.90 | Zundra Feagin-Alexander | 23.06 |
| 400 meters | Jearl Miles Clark | 49.40 CR | Kim Graham | 50.65 | Maicel Malone | 50.74 |
| 800 meters | Kathy Rounds | 2:00.45 | Joetta Clark Diggs | 2:00.64 | Jill McMullen | 2:00.81 |
| 1500 meters | Regina Jacobs | 4:03.42 | Suzy Favor Hamilton | 4:04.36 | Sarah Thorsett | 4:07.34 |
| 5000 meters | Libbie Hickman | 15:37.73 | Amy Rudolph | 15:45.21 | Melody Fairchild | 15:45.54 |
| 10,000 meters | Lynn Jennings | 32:26.41 | Annette Peters | 32:28.55 | Deena Kastor | 32:53.18 |
| 100 m hurdles Wind +0.0 | Melissa Morrison | 12.61 | Anjanette Kirkland | 12.74 | Dawn Bowles | 12.74 |
| 400 m hurdles | Kim Batten | 52.97 CR | Tonja Buford-Bailey | 54.05 | Ryan Tolbert | 54.21 |
| 3000 m s'chase | Melissa Teemant | 10:30.90 | Elizabeth Jackson | 10:38.72 | Gracie Padilla | 10:44.12 |
| 10 km walk | Debbi Lawrence | 46:45.36 | Sara Standley | 46:53.07 | Victoria Herazo | 47:18.05 |

### Women field events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| High jump | Amy Acuff | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | Angela Spangler | 1.93 m (6 ft 3+3⁄4 in) | Erin Aldrich | 1.93 m (6 ft 3+3⁄4 in) |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | 4.30 m (14 ft 1+1⁄4 in) | Melissa Price | 4.00 m (13 ft 1+1⁄4 in) | Melissa Mueller | 3.95 m (12 ft 11+1⁄2 in) |
| Long jump | Marion Jones | 6.93 m (22 ft 8+3⁄4 in) | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in)w | Sharon Jewell | 6.77 m (22 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
| Triple jump | Niambi Dennis | 13.63 m (44 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | Shonda Swift | 13.61 m (44 ft 7+3⁄4 in) | Cynthea Rhodes | 13.54 m (44 ft 5 in) |
| Shot put | Connie Price-Smith | 19.06 m (62 ft 6+1⁄4 in) | Valeyta Althouse | 18.60 m (61 ft 1⁄4 in) | Tressa Thompson | 17.73 m (58 ft 2 in) |
| Discus throw | Lacy Barnes-Mileham | 61.16 m (200 ft 7+3⁄4 in) | Suzy Powell | 60.46 m (198 ft 4+1⁄4 in) | Edie Boyer | 60.08 m (197 ft 1+1⁄4 in) |
| Hammer throw | Dawn Ellerbe | 62.96 m (206 ft 6+1⁄2 in) CR | Renetta Sailer | 60.94 m (199 ft 11 in) | Kiyomi Parish | 59.90 m (196 ft 6+1⁄4 in) |
| Javelin throw | Lynda Blutreich | 58.52 m (191 ft 11+3⁄4 in) | Erica Wheeler | 57.22 m (187 ft 8+3⁄4 in) | Nicole Carroll | 56.46 m (185 ft 2+3⁄4 in) |
| Heptathlon | Kelly Blair LaBounty | 6465 | DeDee Nathan | 6317 | Kym Carter | 6289 |

## World Championships qualification
### Automatic byes

A total of eight American athletes received automatic byes into the 1997 World Championships in Athletics as a result of their being the defending champions from the 1995 World Championships in Athletics. Michael Johnson qualified in two events and his injury situation largely created the bye rule in the first place. Johnson chose not to defend the 200 metres title, but was able to successfully defend his 400 metres title, a feat equalled by Allen Johnson and John Godina in their respective events. Dan O'Brien also did not defend his title.
* Michael Johnson Men's 200 metres
* Michael Johnson Men's 400 metres
* Allen Johnson: Men's 110 m hurdles
* Derrick Adkins: Men's 400 m hurdles
* Gwen Torrence Women's 100 metres
* Gail Devers Women's 100 m hurdles
* Kim Batten Women's 400 m hurdles
* John Godina: Men's shot put
* Dan O'Brien: Men's decathlon

### Non-top three selections

Karl Paranya did not participate in the 1500m. Pascal Dobert did not participate in the steeplechase. Dan Middleman and 7th place Brad Barquist were the American representatives in the 10,000. Since Allen Johnson and Bryan Bronson received a bye, 4th place Mark Crear and Octavius Terry were allowed to compete in their respective hurdle races. LaMark Carter and no other American achieved the A standard in the triple jump. Breaux Greer didn't achieve the A standard. 4th place, naturalized British Olympian Roald Bradstock did and took the third position at the World Championships.