Ryan Bailey graduated to the next level of elite sprinting on Sunday in Rieti, Italy.
He lowered his personal best to 9.95 in a heat of the 100 meters, and then blasted to 9.88 in the finals. He lost to Nesta Carter, but near-perfect conditions led to fast times all around.
Bailey, a 21-year-old who grew up in Oregon and trains in Beaverton with his former high school coach, John Parks, is now tied for the sixth-fastest American ever.
