The 2018 U.S. Championships just wrapped in Des Moines, Iowa, but it's never too early to look ahead to next year's edition of the meet. The 2019 championships will be back at Drake Stadium. This time, however, spots on the team for the World Championships will be on the line.  

Here's an early forecast of which women's sprinters and hurdlers will make the squad to Doha:

Women’s 100m

1) Tori Bowie (Bye - 2017 World Champion)

2) Aleia Hobbs

3) Jenna Prandini

4) English Gardner

Bowie and Hobbs are the clear top two picks. After that, it gets complicated. Because Bowie won the 2017 World Championships, the U.S. will have four entrants. Prandini looks to be back after injury and has a PR of 10.92. Gardner hasn't raced since last July, but she ran 10.74 less than two years ago. It's hard to discount someone who ran that fast.

Ashley Henderson, who was second at USAs after not making the final at the NCAA meet, just ran her lifetime best of 10.96 and should improve as a professional. If any of the four women above stumble, she's a good bet. 

Women’s 200m

1) Tori Bowie

2) Jenna Prandini

3) Gabrielle Thomas  

Unless an American woman can win the 2019 Diamond League, the U.S. will only be able to send three women in this event. 

That, combined with the fact that it is the event most impacted by potential sprint doubles (either 100/200 or 200/400), makes the 200m team especially difficult to predict. Kyra Jefferson, Deajah Stevens, Shania Collins, and Ashley Henderson should also be in the mix for a top-three finish. 

Women’s 400m

1) Lynna Irby 

2) Allyson Felix

3) Shakima Wimbley

4) Phyllis Francis (Bye - 2017 World Champion)

Francis has a bye into the World Championships by virtue of her surprise victory in London. That free pass will be especially useful, because this event is loaded. Collegian Irby just ran 49.80 at the NCAA Championships. Wimbley posted a huge PR of 49.52 at USAs. And Allyson Felix is . . . Allyson Felix. Even though she’s been limited this year by injury, I think she will be right by next year. Or at least right enough to get on the team. 

But Felix will have to be in good form, because the above list doesn’t include Kendall Ellis, Jessica Beard, Courtney Okolo, and whichever college freshman next year is going to run a low 50 out of nowhere. Oh, and it also doesn’t include Sydney McLaughlin who I’m guessing will focus on the 400m hurdles next year. 

Women’s 100m Hurdles

1) Brianna McNeal

2) Kendra Harrison

3) Sharika Nelvis

4) Christina Manning

The U.S. doesn’t have the reigning world champion in this event, but I’m predicting they will have the 2019 Diamond League winner. They are too deep not to have one of the above get the victory before the World Championships. 

The top four all have championship experience and have a great chance to make another national team. Outside of those four, Queen Harrison has the best chance and could grab the bye herself if she’s outside the top three at U.S Championships. 

Women’s 400m Hurdles

1) Sydney McLaughlin

2) Dalilah Muhammad 

3) Shamier Little

4) Kori Carter (Bye - 2017 World Champion)

Carter is the reigning world champion and won’t have to sweat it out in Des Moines next year. McLaughlin, Muhammad, and Little make up the top three for the United States so far in 2018. It seems inconceivable that McLaughlin would drop out of the top three and Muhammad and Little have come up big in important races before. 

Georganne Moline ran 53.14 last year and will make it a tight race for the qualifying spots.