Jackson down to compete at Queen’s meet

World Championships 200 metres gold medallist and RJRGLEANER Sportswoman of the Year, Shericka Jackson, will make her season debut in the women’s 60 metres at tomorrow’s Grace Jackson/Queen’s Development meet at the National Stadium.

Jackson, who competes for the MVP Track Club, should have made her debut in the event two weeks ago at the JAAA/Puma/Fuller/Anderson meet but pulled out due to illness. Also scheduled for tomorrow is the St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) Invitational in Santa Cruz.

The island’s top senior athletes are preparing for the World Indoor Championships slated for Glasgow, Scotland, March 1-3, and Jackson will be joined in the 60m event event by Tia Clayton who won the event then in 7.22 seconds, Sada Williams who was third in 7.30, and Serena Cole who was third last Saturday in the event at the Central Hurdles meet in 7.35. Also down to contest the event are SprinTec’s Shashalee Forbes who won at Central Hurdles in 7.14 seconds, and her teammate Jodean Williams who was second in 7.26. Jura Levy of Legacy Track Club will also face the starter. The women’s 60m is set for 6 p.m.

World Championships 4x100m bronze medallist Ackeem Blake will line up for Dynamic Athletics Track Club in the men’s event at 6:10 p.m. Ramone Barnswell of MVP, who won the event last Saturday at the Central Hurdles meet in 6.68, will be joined by teammate Tajay Gayle here. Others down to compete include Michael Campbell of Uptimum Athletics Track Club, Nigel Ellis of Elite Performance, Tyquendo Tracy of Swept, and Odaine McPherson of GC Foster College.

There will also be competition for senior athletes in the 200 metres, where Paul Henry of New Era Track Club, Tyrece Hyman of MVP and Jahzeel Murphy of Dynamic Athletics Track Club will be among the starters. Rhonda Whyte of Swept and Candice McLeod of Uptimum Athletics Track Club are two of the top females down to compete in the event.

With an exciting start to the high school track season so far, the trend should continue tomorrow at STETHS as top girls’ teams Hydel High, Holmwood Technical and St Jago High will be represented. Athletes from Kingston College, Calabar High and Jamaica College will also compete at the meet.

Events down to be contested are 200m, 400m, 4x400m and 4x800m, long jump, triple jump, high jump, discus and shot put throws.