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Washington - London Olympic high jump runner-up Erik Kynard captured his eighth consecutive national title at the US Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, while Gwen Berry and Noah Lyles set world bests.
Kynard, who settled for sixth last year at the Rio Olympics, cleared 2.30m to edge runner-up Allex Austin's 2.24 and add a fourth consecutive indoor national crown to a run that has seen him win four outdoor titles in a row as well.
The three-day meet concludes Sunday at Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Olympic hammer thrower Berry won her fourth US indoor weight throw title in five years with a world-best mark of 25.60m effort, breaking the decade-old mark of 25.60 set by American Brittany Riley to beat Deanna Price by 1.30m.
Lyles, a 19-year-old Floridian who won the 200m at the 2014 Young Olympics in Nanjing, won the 300m in 31.87 seconds, trimming .01 off the world best set by Wallace Spearmon in 2006 to defeat Paul Dedewo by .05 of a second.
Both the 300 and weight throw are not on the list of events with IAAF-recognized world records, all-time top efforts instead being considered world bests.
Eric Bougard, who won the pentathlon on Friday, captured her second title in the long jump with a leap of 6.44m.
Phyllis Francis, a member of the Rio Olympic US women's gold medal 4x400 relay, captured the women's 300 in 36.15 seconds, edging Joanna Atkins by .03.
Sam Kendricks won his fourth consecutive men's indoor pole vault crown by clearing 5.85m while Darien Moore took the shot put with a heave of 20.78m.
Ajee Wilson, the US indoor 800m champion in three of the past four years, led 600m finals qualifiers in 1:26.57 with Courtney Okolo, a member of the US Rio 4x400 relay winner, second on 1:27.10.
Erik Sowinski, last year's world 800m indoor runner-up, was the fastest men's 600 finalist in 1:15.51.
Japheth Cato captured the heptathlon crown Saturday after winning the pole vault by clearing 5.05m and taking the 60m hurdles in 8.04 seconds to seize command.
In the final event, the 1,000m, Cato placed ninth in 3:01.40 but that was enough to finish first on 5,738 points, 98 points ahead of Austin Bahner with Thomas Hopkins winning the 1,000 in 2:37.56 to finish third on 5,417.
Top finishers from Saturday's finals at the US Indoor Track and Field Championships at Albuquerque, New Mexico:
Men
300m: 1. Noah Lyles 31.87 seconds, 2. Paul Dedewo 31.92, 3. Dontavius Wright 32.56
Two Mile: 1. Paul Chelimo 8:28.53, 2. Woody Kincaid 8:38.66, 3. Ryan Hill 8:38.81
Two-Mile Race walk: 1. John Nunn 12:38.37, 2. Nick Christie 13:11.81, 3. Jonathan Hallman 13:29.00
Heptathlon: 1. Japheth Cato 5,738 points, 2. Austin Bahner 5,640, 3. Thomas Hopkins 5,417
Long Jump: 1. La'Derrick Ward 7.93m, 2. Brendan Ames 7.74, 3. Kendall Spencer 7.66
Pole Vault: 1. Sam Kendricks 5.85m, 2. Logan Cunningham 5.65, 3. Chris Pillow 5.65
High Jump: 1. Erik Kynard 2.30m, 2. Allex Austin 2.24, 3. Deante Kemper 2.24
Shot Put: 1. Darien Moore 20.78m, 2. Jon Jones 20.53, 3. David Pless 20.31
Women
300m: 1. Phyllis Francis 36.15, 2. Joanna Atkins 36.18, 3. Candace Hill 36.56
Mile: 1. Shelby Houlihan 4:45.18, 2. Colleen Quigley 4:45.58, 3. Heather Kampf 4:46.06
Long Jump: 1. Erica Bougard 6.44m, 2. Jessie Gaines 6.42, 3. Kenyattia Hackworth 6.38
Weight Throw: 1. Gwen Berry 25.60m, 2. Deanna Price 24.30, 3. Felisha Johnson 24.22
