Men's 200 Field Includes Fred Kerley, Michael Norman, Rai Benjamin and Christian Coleman; Olympic Champions Elaine Thompson-Herah, Valarie Allman And Daniel Stahl Entered

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Three months ahead of the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore. professional track athletes around the world are begining to rev their engines and start racing. 

The first big professional meet on U.S. soil this spring comes Saturday at the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike in Walnut, Calif., where a two-hour televised window from 2 to 4 p.m. Pacific time will feature the USATF Golden Games at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. 

Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica is a late addition to the women's 100 meters field. She's returning to the West coast after running her lifetime best and No. 2 all-time 10.54 at the Prefontaine Classic last August in Eugene.

American women in the 100-meter field include Teahna Daniels, Twanisha Terry, Aleia Hobbs, Tamara Clark (of Arkansas) and Javianne Oliver. Briana Williams of Jamaica, a 4x100 meters gold medalist, is also entered. 

The men's 200 meters features one of the most compelling sprint races so far this year, Olympic 100-meter silver medalist Fred Kerley taking on fellow U.S. stars Rai Benjamin, the Olympic silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, Michael Norman, who was fifth in the Olympic 400 final last summer, and Christian Coleman, the 2019 100-meter world champion.

Mt. SAC RELAYS WEBCAST INFO | USATF Golden Games, 2-4 Pacific Saturday Live on CNBC

The presence of two Olympic champions will bring added attention to the discus events. 

Valarie Allman, who launched the farthest throw in the women's discus in 30 years last weekend, will aim to keep her momentum rolling. Allman threw 234-5 (71.46m) at the Triton Invitational in San Diego. 

Shadae Lawrence of Jamaica, who was seventh in the Olympic final, is also entered.

Swedish duo Daniel Stahl and Simon Petterson, the gold and silver medalists from the men's discus final in Tokyo, are competing in California for the second straight weekend. Both were in San Diego, like Allman, last weekend. Top American Sam Mattis, who was eighth at the Olympic Games, is entered. Cal freshman Mykolas Alekna, from Lithuania, is the NCAA leader and is also expected to compete, along with reigning Division 1 champion Turner Washington of Arizona State.

Devon Allen, who signed a professional football contract last week with the Philadelphia Eagles, has apparently not let go of track and field completely. He is entered in both the 100 meters and the 110-meter hurdles. 

Also in the 100, Olympic semifinalist Jason Rogers from St. Kitts and Nevis is part of a large field that includes U.S. sprinters Michael Rodgers, Ameer Webb, Isiah Young, Jarrion Lawson and Kyree King. A couple of collegiate sprinters, Oregon's Micah Williams and Mt. SAC's Ilias Garcia are also intriguing entries.

U.S. Olympians Bryce Hoppel and Isaiah Jewett will compete in the men's 800 meters. Both were Olympic semifinalists last summer. Hoppel earned a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships last month. 

Rudy Winkler, seventh at the Olympic Games, headlines the men's hammer competition, along with fellow Americans Alex Young, Daniel Haugh and Sean Donnelly.

The women's 100-meter hurdles features world record holder Keni Harrison, the Olympic silver medalist, racing for the first time since the Texas Relays, where she ran a wind-aided 12.32 seconds. Gabriele Cunningham, the World Indoor bronze medalist, Tonea Marshall,and Chanel Brissett are among the Americans entered. Nigerian Tobi Amusan was fourth in the Olympic final last summer.  

Olympic bronze medalist Gabby Thomas headlines a 200-meter field that includes Jenna Prandini and Clark. 

Dalilah Muhammad, the Olympic silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, is in the flat 400 meters along with Kendall Ellis, Phyllis Francis, Shamier Little and Kaylin Whitney. 

Raevyn Rogers, Sinclaire Johnson and Sammy Watson are all part of the women's 800-meter field. 

The lineup for the women's pole vault includes 2016 Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi of Greece and recent NCAA Indoor champion Rachel Baxter of Virginia Tech. 

Olympic silver medalist Raven Saunders is entered in the women's shot put, along with fellow Tokyo competitors Fanny Roos (Sweden), Jessica Ramsey, Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Jamaica), Sarah Mitton (Canada), Portious Warren (Trinidad & Tobago) and Lloydricia Cameron (Jamaica).