Williams claims SW Isaac-Henry 60-metre title

BRIANA WILLIAMS was the toast of the SW Isaac-Henry Invitational yesterday at the National Stadium despite facing strong winds when she claimed the 60 metres ahead of Janeek Brown.

Running into a negative 1.5-metre per second headwind, Williams still sped to 7.31 seconds to finish well ahead of Brown, who stopped the clock in 7.68.

Williams, the second-fastest Jamaican woman over the event this year with a best of 7.13 seconds, said the run was preparation for the World Indoor Championships.

“The time was not fast but the heavy wind affected my performance and also the pre-race preparation, as we were in the warm-up area for a long time before we were called,” said Williams.

“Today I also used the run in preparation for other runs as I am preparing for the World Indoor Championships and hopefully, I will be in the Jamaica team,” said Williams.

Ramone Barnswell of MVP Track Club was the overall winner of the men’s 60 metres, winning his heat in 6.77 seconds, running into a negative wind of 1.3 metres per second.

Bryan Levell of Uptimum Track Club won his heat in 6.85 seconds, running into a negative wind of 2.2 metres per second to finish second overall.

Javier Brown led a podium finish for Racers Track Club in the men’s Invitational 400 metres, stopping the clock at 47.77 seconds to win his heat. Making his season debut, World Championships 100-metre bronze medallist, Zharnel Hughes, won his heat in 48.25 to finish second overall, while Jeremy Brembrige took third in 48.54 seconds.

Also in the one-lap event, Jevaughn Pinnock of New Era Track Club won the Class 1 in 48.83 seconds ahead of Manchester High School’s Kadjori Deer, second in 51.84. Rasheed Buckle of St Jago High was best in Class Two, winning in 51.12.

Charissa December of Vere Technical clocked the fastest time on the day in the one-lap event after her win in Class One in 57.05. Latanya Dixon followed up on her good performance earlier in the week for St Mary’s College at the Eastern Athletics Championships to top Class Two in 58.63 seconds.

Shannaty Burke of Ferncourt High was best among Class Threes, winning in 59.31.

St Jago High’s Kenyan athlete, Ryan Achau, was in record-breaking form in the open boys’ 1500 metres, winning in 4:08.54 minutes, as his teammate, Raheem Walker took second in 4:21.32.

In field events, Jamaica College’s Shaiquan Dunn, the overwhelming favourite for double success in throws at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, was also a record breaker, winning the boys’ Class One discus with a throw of 56.59 metres. Teammates Delangelo Jackson, 50.55, and Denzil Phillips, 45.12, ended second and third.

In boys’ Class One long jump, Deandre Jennings came out winner with a distance of 5.72 metres. His teammate, Kashane Chin, was second with 5.51. In the girls’ Class One event, Jhagroo Bryan-Shield of Manchester High was the winner with 5.59 metres.

Camperdown High sprint hurdler Matthew Sullivan, despite running into a negative 4.3-metre per second wind, was impressive in posting a nippy 14.14 seconds to win the Class One boys’ 110-metre hurdles.