Every U.S. Championship meet with a team on the line produces under-the-radar names who, against all odds, defy projections to earn a coveted spot at a global championship. The emergence of previously unheralded athletes is one of the best features of USAs, and upsets are bound to occur en masse in a season as atypical as this one.

Below is one sleeper candidate in every track event to watch in Des Moines. To be clear, I am not suggesting that these athletes have a shot to win at USAs, simply that the following names could make the team:

100m

Isiah Young

The 29-year-old Young is more of 200m specialist (he won the U.S. title in 2013), but his four sub-10.10 performances in 2019 show he’s capable of cracking the top four in the 100m. With Justin Gatlin getting the bye, that’s all he’ll need to punch a ticket to Doha.

Teahna Daniels

The recent Texas grad was only fourth at NCAAs, but Teahna Daniels has looked strong since, including a third place finish in the Pre 100m and a 22.59 200m at Monaco.

200m

Andrew Hudson

The men’s 200m is wide open behind Noah Lyles, and with the 19.50 man favored to win the Diamond League, this is another event where Team USA is likely to nab four entries. Christian Coleman is probably a safe bet for the second spot, but beyond him places three and four are there for the taking. Former Texas Tech sprinter Andrew Hudson seems like a prime candidate for one of those places after running a 20.04 personal best in 2019.

Gabby Thomas

The first year pro only has the 12th-fastest time in the U.S. this season (22.69), but the former NCAA champ ran 22.19 just last summer. Thomas will have to elevate her game to make the team, but with two collegians currently owning the fastest times in the country, this event has yet to resemble its final product.

400m

Michael Cherry

The men’s 400m is all but assured to get four with Michael Norman likely to win the Diamond League title, and quarter-mile veteran Michael Cherry should factor into the fight between Fred Kerley and several post-collegians for one of those three remaining spots. Cherry has only run 45.15 this year, but he was third at USAs in 2018.

Chloe Abbott

The NCAA 400m runner-up, Chloe Abbott, has the third-fastest U.S. 400m time this season among those who will compete in Des Moines. Abbott will have to run faster than her 50.98 PB to make the team, but that’s certainly possible for someone who split 50.4 in the NCAA 4x4.

800m

Brannon Kidder

The men’s 800m team appears all but set with Donavan Brazier, Clayton Murphy and Bryce Hoppel clearly a step above the rest, but 25-year-old Brannon Kidder could play spoiler coming off a 1:45.39 PB on July 9. Kidder has also run a 3:35 1500m in 2019, strength that should come in handy through three tough rounds at USAs. 

Nia Akins

Penn senior-to-be Nia Akins doesn’t have the 2:00.60 standard, but two runner-up NCAA 800m finishes in 2019 shows she’s capable. Outside of Ajee’ Wilson and Raevyn Rogers, the final spot in the women’s 800m is wide open.

1,500m

Henry Wynne

Wynne has quietly enjoyed a huge breakout 2019 season that has included a 3:51 indoor mile in March, a 3:35 1500m best in June and most recently, a 1:47 800m PB on July 9. The men’s 1500m is going to be a brutal top three to crack with Centro, Craig Engels and Ben Blankenship all looking rock solid, but Wynne is going well enough to break up that trio.

Sinclaire Johnson

The 2019 NCAA 1,500m champ has run just once since her 4:05.98 triumph in Austin, but the 2:00.43 800m she ran three weeks ago showed she hasn’t cooled off a bit after upsetting Jessica Hull on June 8. Beating one of Shelby Houlihan, Jenny Simpson or Kate Grace will be a tough task for a 21-year-old, but Johnson is running well enough to do it.

3,000m Steeplechase

Obsa Ali

Seven-time champion Evan Jager’s absence from USAs has set up the men’s steeple to be one of the least predictable races in Des Moines. Beyond 8:08 man Hillary Bor, at least five men will be vying for the two remaining tickets to Doha. One of them is 2018 NCAA champion Obsa Ali, who ran his 8:28 PB three weeks ago in LA.

Mel Lawrence

The U.S. women get four bids by virtue of Emma Coburn 2017 gold, and the fight for the final spot seems likely to come down to 2019 NCAA champion Allie Ostrander and 9:29 steepler Mel Lawrence. Ostrander beat Lawrence at Pre, but the 29-year-old has the experience advantage as she has finished top five at USAs in back-to-back years.

5,000m

Kirubel Erassa

The 26-year-old Erassa has exploded in 2019 after joining the American Distance Project in Colorado Springs, and between his 13:17 5k PB from May and his 27:32 10k last month, Erassa seems certain to make at least one team for Doha. The former Oklahoma State star is a 5k sleeper because of the loads of experience he’s giving up to Paul Chelimo, Ben True and Hassan Mead, but with fellow contender Eric Jenkins missing USAs due to injury, Erassa needs to beat just one of those three to make the 5,000m squad.

Kim Conley

Two-time Olympian Kim Conley doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a sleeper, but given that she missed a lot of 2018 due to injury, the 33-year-old is easy to overlook. That would be foolish, however, as Conley enters Des Moines fresh off a 15:05 PB last month.

10,000m

No one

With only four men having the 10k standard-- Lopez Lomong, Kirubel Erassa, Leonard Korir and Shadrack Kipchirchir-- there’s basically zero chance that anyone outside this quartet qualifies for the World Championships. Nobody is running 27:40 in 80-degree heat.

No one

This one is clear. Only three women in the U.S. women’s 10k field have the standard-- Emily Sisson, Molly Huddle and Marielle Hall-- meaning the team for Doha is essentially set. 

Carrie Dimoff has the standard but has elected to compete in the marathon in Doha instead.

110m Hurdles/100m Hurdles

Isaiah Moore

The former South Carolina hurdler was third behind Grant Holloway and Daniel Roberts in the NCAA high hurdles final in Austin. Although Moore was well back in 13.37, that time puts him just .04 away from reigning U.S. champ Devon Allen’s 13.33 season’s best.

Tonea Marshall

After finishing third at NCAAs, LSU’s Tonea Marshall lowered her PB to 12.57 with a huge win over NCAA runner-up Chanel Brissett at NACACs. The 20-year-old is giving up loads of experience to big names like Olympic champ Brianna McNeal, Nia Ali and Christina Clemons, but her time ranks third in the U.S. this season.

400m Hurdles

Norman Grimes

The Texas Tech hurdler dropped a huge 48.71 PB to finish runner-up at NCAAs that ranks him third in the U.S. The availability of the third spot will depend on the fitness of experienced guys like Kerron Clement, Michael Stigler and TJ Holmes, but Grimes certainly has much more momentum entering Des Moines. 

Anna Cockrell

The women’s 400m hurdles might be the toughest team to make this weekend with world leader Sydney McLaughlin, Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad and former world silver medalist Shamier Little all looming large in the event. That’s not to mention Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Spencer, who has run 53.11. But don’t sleep on NCAA champ Anna Cockrell, who enters USAs undefeated in her specialty.