Stiff elevates to No. 4 all-time outdoor prep competitor with 54-9.50 (16.70m) effort in final round, joins Azcano, Coleman, Hebron, Jarema, Lewis, Mann, Meeks, Moore Jr., Shea, Tucker and mixed 4x400 relay among U.S. champions in Puerto Rico 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Call it a victory lap around the shot put ring.

Mensi Stiff, a recent graduate of Brentwood Academy in Tennessee and an Ole Miss signee, had already secured the gold medal entering her final attempt Friday at the Pan American Under-20 Championships.

But Stiff, a United States team captain, achieved one of the first big memorable moments at the three-day event at Jose A. Figueroa Freire Stadium in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico with her spectacular sixth-round performance.

Stiff elevated to the No. 4 all-time outdoor prep shot competitor with a lifetime-best 54-9.50 (16.70m) effort, capturing the first of 12 gold medals for the U.S. on opening day.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Stiff, who only trails Alyssa Wilson, Raven Saunders and Michelle Carter among outdoor prep athletes, became the first American to capture women’s shot put gold at the meet since Wilson achieved the feat in 2017 in Peru.

Stiff also produced the No. 12 all-time outdoor performance, the best by a U.S. prep athlete since 2017.

Iowa’s Wisdom Williams placed second with a fifth-round mark of 49-8.25 (15.14m), making the pair one of three American tandems to achieve a 1-2 finish Friday, all in throwing events.

Vanderbilt’s Giovanna Meeks and Skylar Soli, a recent graduate of Douglas County High in Georgia and an Ole Miss commit, were separated by one inch in the women’s hammer throw final, both marks coming in the third round.

Meeks achieved a throw of 194-1 (59.17m) and Soli produced a 194-foot effort (59.13m) to capture gold and silver for the U.S., which earned its first Pan American U20 women’s hammer throw title since Haley Showalter in 2015 in Canada.

Baylor’s Gary Moore, Jr. and UCLA’s Michael Pinckney took the top two spots in the men’s shot put.

Moore prevailed with a fourth-round performance of 64-3.75 (19.60m) and Pinckney achieved a third-round effort of 57-0.75 (17.39m).

It marked the fifth consecutive gold medal for the Americans in the men’s shot put and the 18th overall championship in the 21 editions of the meet.

Moore rebounded from a seventh-place finish earlier Friday in the men’s hammer throw final with a 212-10 (64.89m) performance. Pinckney placed fifth with a mark of 224-4 (68.38m).

Chile’s Miguel Castro Vasquez secured hammer gold with a 237-9 (72.47m) throw in the third round.

Ellie Shea, an incoming senior representing the Emerging Elites in Belmont, Mass., earned her third medal of the year representing the U.S., including her first gold, winning the women’s 1,500-meter final by leading from wire to wire in 4:16.61.

Shea, 17, contributed to a bronze medal team finish for the Americans in February at the World Athletics U20 Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia. She secured silver July 23 in the 1,500 at the NACAC Under-23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Shea’s triumph was the first for the U.S. in the women’s 1,500 at the meet since Kate Murphy was victorious in 2015 in Canada.

Anita Poma Mendoza of Peru placed second in 4:18.28, with Kyla Martin, a Utah commit, taking third for Canada in 4:25.95.

Isabel Conde de Frankenberg, an incoming senior at Cedar Park High in Texas representing Argentina, finished fourth in 4:30.33, with Vanderbilt’s Audrey Allman earning sixth in 4:41.84.

Michigan’s Caleb Jarema triumphed in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:05.92, the first gold medal for the Americans in the event since Bailey Roth prevailed in 2015 in Canada.

Oregon’s Ben Balazs finished fourth in 9:39.64.

The U.S. swept the men’s and women’s 400-meter hurdles titles.

Bryce Tucker, a recent graduate of Pennsauken High in New Jersey and a Rutgers commit, earned the win in the men’s 400 hurdles final, edging UCLA’s Yan Vazquez of host Puerto Rico in 51.57.

Tucker became the first American since Quincy Hall in 2017 in Peru to capture the gold medal.

Boston College’s Damon Frabotta grabbed bronze for the U.S. in 52.19.

Sanaa Hebron of Miami (Florida) was victorious in the women’s 400 hurdles championship race, clocking 56.90 to become the first U.S. female athlete to capture the title since Brandee Johnson in 2017 in Peru.

Michelle Smith, an incoming senior at Montverde Academy in Florida representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, secured silver in 57.99 and Vanderbilt’s Allyria McBride earned bronze for the U.S. in 58.32.

Texas A&M’s Jack Mann cleared 16-4.75 (5.00m) on his second attempt to win gold for the U.S. in the men’s pole vault, making it four consecutive titles in the event for the Americans.

Cody Johnston, a recent graduate of Hobart High in Indiana and an Illinois signee, did not compete.

Avery Lewis, an incoming senior at Friends’ Central School in Pennsylvania, rallied with big performances in the final two rounds of the women’s long jump final to capture gold.

Lewis capped her series with a sixth-round performance of 20-5 (6.22m) to surpass the second-round effort of 20-3 (6.17m) by Brazil’s Vanessa Sena dos Santos.

Lewis earned the fifth straight women’s long jump title for the Americans, with Morgan Davis – a recent graduate of Saraland High in Alabama and a Kentucky signee – also coming up clutch on her final attempt to grab bronze at 19-8 (5.99m).

Tyler Azcano, a Florida A&M signee, was victorious in the men’s 100-meter dash final in a wind-legal 10.26, holding off Jamaica’s Jeevan Newby in 10.31, to secure the third consecutive championship for the U.S. in the event.

San Jose State’s Cameron Tarver was fourth, edging Jamaica’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie by a 10.491 to 10.492 margin.

Notre Dame’s Ethan Coleman prevailed in the men’s 5,000 in 14:44.58, withstanding a late surge from Peru’s Elvis Companocca Checco (14:45.85), securing the first title in the event for the U.S. since Matthew Maton in 2015 in Canada.

Iowa’s William Ryan earned bronze in 14:52.06 for the Americans, with BYU’s Alex Garcia Silver representing Colombia with a fourth-place effort in 14:53.26 and Mt. San Antonio College’s Austin Ledgerwood finished fifth for the U.S. in 15:42.15.

The Americans closed Friday’s schedule with a gold medal in the mixed 4x400-meter relay in 3:18.07, the first time the event has been part of the Pan American U20 Championships schedule.

Lubbock Christian’s George Garcia and Max DeAngelo, an incoming senior at Millbrook High in North Carolina, were joined by female teammates Madison Whyte – a recent graduate of Heritage High in Virginia and a USC signee – and JaMeesia Ford, a recent graduate from Jack Britt High in North Carolina and a South Carolina commit.

Jamaica’s Alana Reid was victorious in the women’s 100-meter dash final in a wind-legal 11.33.

Georgia’s Kaila Jackson clocked 11.41 to capture silver for the U.S. and Texas A&M’s Camryn Dickson took bronze for the Americans in 11.48.

Heather Durrant, representing the Elgin Sharks and a recent graduate of Elgin High in Illinois who has committed to University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky, earned the first medal Friday for the U.S. by placing second in the women’s 10,000-meter race walk in 50:02.61.

Sharon Herrera Soto of Costa Rica triumphed in 49:53.76, with American Talia Green – an incoming senior at College Prep School in Oakland, Calif. – finishing fourth in 53:49.82.