Record number of Jamaicans qualify for NCAA Championships

FOLLOWING LAST weekend’s National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division One East and West Preliminary round, a record number of Jamaicans will compete at next week’s Outdoor Championships, which will be held over four days from June 8-11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Thirty Jamaicans, 16 from the West and 14 from the East, finished among the top 12 in their respective events to advance. The preliminary round in the East was held at Indiana University in Bloomington while the West’s event saw competition at the John McDonald Field in Fayeteville, Arkansas.

Women dominated for the Jamaicans in the West, where 14 advanced. There were only two men. In the East it was the reverse, with 10 men booking their tickets to the big show. Four women qualified.

Leading the way were those who competed in the West as Stacy Williams and Ackelia Smith of the University of Texas, Lamara Distin of Texas A&M University, and Daniella Anglin of South Dakota topped their respective events. In the East, Roje Stona of Clemson was the sole Jamaican on top.

50.66 CLOCKING

Williams, the former St Elizabeth Technical High School quarter-miler, was on top in the women’s 400 metres, with a 50.66-second clocking, finishing ahead of Texas A&M’s Charokee Young, second overall in 50.80 seconds. Young is formerly of Hydel High School.

Former Manchester High and Holmwood Technical’s Kavia Francis also booked a spot here as the Baylor University athlete with her 52.48-second clocking was 11th overall.

A gigantic battle is expected between Williams and Young next week as Young is ranked number two in the world in the event with a personal best 49.87, while Williams is number five with a personal best 50.21.

Distin, formerly of Rusea’s, Vere Technical, and Hydel High, along with former Herbert Morrison Technical jumper Anglin, finished joint first in the high jump where three athletes had a best of 1.81 metres. Distin, who held the top spot at the world level for several weeks with her season and personal best of 1.97 metres, is now number two here as Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh took over the world lead over the past weekend with a winning clearance of 2.00.

Former Edwin Allen High jumper Smith is also the top qualifier in the triple jump from the West after her win of 14.08 metres. Daniella Spence, formerly of St Jago High, is set to join Smith as the University of Texas, San Antonio, athlete ended ninth with 13.41 metres. Smith also qualified for the long jump after her seventh-place finish with 6.31. Former Hydel High jumper, Velecia Williams, who represents Kent State University, will join her here as her 6.22 had her getting the 12th and final spot in the event.

ONLY JAMAICAN FROM THE EAST

Former St Jago High thrower Roje Stona is the only Jamaican from the East to come out on top. Competing for Clemson University, he threw the Men’s Discus 63.22 metres. Former Petersfield High thrower Kevin Nedrick will join him. Competing for Liberty Universty, Nedrick ended 12th with 55.80 metres.

Several other Jamaicans had top-three finishes from both prelims in advancing, and these included Wayne Pinnock, Apolas Edwards, and Navasky Anderson from the East. The West had Ralford Mullings, Jevaughn Powell, Kevona Davis, and Kemba Nelson.

Pinnock, formerly of Kingston College, competing for the University of Tennessee, was second in the Men’s long jump with 7.93 metres while former St Jago High middle-distance athlete Anderson, representing Mississippi State University, was second in the Men’s 800 metres in 1:47.83. Edwards, a former Jamaica College jumper, competing for Louisianna State Universty, also took second in the triple jump with 16.20 metres.

Ralford Mullings of Arizona State University and Jevaughn Powell of University of Texas, El Paso, finished second in their respective events.

Mullings, formerly of Kingston College, had a distance of 60.86 metres in the Men’s Discus throw, while Powell, a former Edwin Allen and Kingston Colllege High quarter-miler, clocked 44.87 seconds in the Men’s 400 metres.

Demisha Roswell of Texas Technical University and Kevona Davis of the University of Texas, Austin, were second in their events while Kemba Nelson was third.

Roswell, the former Vere Technical sprint hurdler, who is also number two in the world with 12.44 seconds, clocked 12.78 seconds in the Women’s 100m hurdles.

Davis, formerly of Edwin Allen High, was second for the University of Texas, Austin, in the Women’s 200 metres in 22.49 seconds. She also advanced in the 100 metres with 11.04 seconds (+2.2 m/s), giving her a sixth-place finish.

Nelson, the former Mount Alvernia High sprinter, who competes for the University of Oregon, was third in the Women’s 100 metres in a wind-aided 10.85 (+2.6 m/s).