‘Yard’ talent leaving mark on indoor season

SEVERAL OF the country’s collegiate and professional athletes were in good form on Friday at several Indoor Track and Field meets in the United States.

There were wins for Daniellle Williams, Ackera Nugent, Kavia Francis, Lamara Distin and Nigel Ellis, while the likes of Chanice Porter, Kevona Davis, Demisha Roswell and Tajay Gayle finished among the top three in their respective events.

Williams, leader of the World Indoor Tour Gold Meeting with two wins from two starts, continued her impressive form after speeding to a world lead and personal best in the Women’s 60m hurdles at the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson University, stopping the clock in 7.75 seconds.

World Under-20 100m hurdles champion, Ackera Nugent, remained unbeaten over the 60-metre hurdles this season. The former Excelsior High School representative, competing for Baylor University at the Texas Shootout, raced to a respectable 7.89 seconds to win the event, as former Vere Technical athlete, Demisha Roswell out of Texas Technical University, was second in 8.00 seconds.

At the same meet, there was success for former Holmwood Technical quarter-miler Kavia Francis, representing Baylor, who stopped the clock at 52.70 seconds to win the Women’s 400m.

In the field, the well-travelled high school athlete Distin led the way as the former Rusea’s High, Vere Technical and Hydel High representative was an impressive winner for Texas A&M Universty in the high jump at the Don Kirby Invitational. She cleared the bar at 1.92 metres for a new National record, beating the previous best of 1.90 metres set by Marena Cadienhead in 2002.

PORTER SECOND IN LONG JUMP

Former Manchester High long jump standout, Chanice Porter, had a second-place finish at the Tyson Invitational with her mark of 6.55 metres. Barbados’ Akela Jones won with 6.80m.

Edwin Allen High former top sprinter, Kevona Davis, also had a top-three finish in her event, the Women’s 60m at the Tiger Paw meet for the University of Texas, Austin, clocking 7.35 seconds for third. St Lucia’s Julien Alfred, a former St Catherine High athlete, also competing for Texas, won the event in 7.26 seconds.

Nigel Ellis of MVP Track Club led the way for the professional athletes with a win in the Men’s 60 metres at the Tyson Invitational after stopping the clock at 6.90 seconds. His teammate and World Championships long jump gold medallist, Tajay Gayle, finished second in 6.95 seconds.

On the female side, World 100 metres bronze medallist Shericka Jackson had a second-place finish in the 60 metres in a nippy 7.12 seconds. Mary Beth Sant of the United States won in 7.04 seconds as Jackson’s training partner, Natasha Morrison, took third in 7.35 seconds.