Farquharson, McNeil named Athletes of the Week
Published:Sunday | January 30, 2022 | 12:10 AMHubert Lawrence - Gleaner Writer
JAMAICANS KIMAR Farquharson and Alliyah McNeil finished last week as the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athletes of the Week.
Farquharson, the former Calabar High School 800-metre standout, laid down a fast run over a rare distance while McNeil showed promising form in the high jump last week.
Now in his first season at South Plains Junior College, Farquharson ran the 600 yards in 1 minute 09.33 seconds to move to No. 4 all-time in the history of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The big run came at the Red Raider Open in Lubbock, Texas, on January 21. As he sometimes did for Calabar, he completed his endeavours with an anchor leg for the South Plains 4x400-metre team. His leg was done in 46.14 seconds.
Coincidentally, the final time for his team – 3.08.44 – ranks as the No. 4 clocking in NJCAA history.
At Calabar, he set Boys and Girls’ Championships records in the 800 in both Class 1 and Class 2.
McNeil, a 2019 Boys and Girls’ Championships Class 2 high jump finalist for STETHS, is now at Iowa Central. She earned her Athlete of the Week honour with a clearance of 1.77 metres at the Northwest Missouri Open on January 22. This lifetime best is a NJCAA seasonal leader, and equals the ninth best ever by a junior college jumper.
McNeil is the reigning NJCAA Indoor champion and was second outdoors.