28 US-based Jamaicans for NCAA Champs
Published:Saturday | June 5, 2021 | 12:08 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
Twenty-eight United States-based Jamaican athletes will be in action in individual events when the four-day Division One National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championships gets underway at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, next Wednesday.
Former Vere Technical and St Jago High 400 metres hurdler Andrenette Knight is the top Jamaican to qualify among the females after the two recent regional meets. A senior at the University of Virginia, Knight is the top seed in the event with her 56.07 seconds clocking.
Former Excelsior High sprint hurdler Ackera Nugent has qualified for two events. The Baylor University freshman is the second seed in the 100m hurdles with 12.76 seconds and is at eighth in the 100 metres with 11.15 seconds. In the 100m hurdles, she is joined by former Queen’s School athlete Daszay Freeman (University of Arkansas) who is 10th with 12.92. Former Hydel star Trishauna Hemmings (Clemson University) is at 12th with 12.94 while former St Jago High athlete Rosalee Cooper (University of Virginia) is at 16th. Kemba Nelson, the former Mr Alvernia High sprinter who is now at University of Oregon, will join Nugent in the 100m. She is the third seed in the event with a personal best 10.98. Former Edwin Allen High stand out, Kevona Davis , a freshman at the University of Texas, El Paso is through in the 200 metres where her 22.87 seconds clocking has her at number 12.
Davis’ teammate Stacy Ann Williams and former Hydel High athlete Charokee Young have qualified in the 400m. Williams, a St Elizabeth Technical past student, is at number two with 50.34 seconds while Young, competing for Texas A&M University, is fourth ranked with 50.85.
HIGH ATHLETE
Former Hydel High athlete Lamara Distin and her former schoolmate Rhianna Phipps are through in the jumps. Distin (Texas A&M) is at number seven in the high jump with 1.82m while Phipps of Kansas State is fourth in the long jump with 6.73m.Former St Jago High thrower Gabrielle Bailey, of Kent University, is at number 14 in the discus with 56.22 metres.
Leonardo Ledgister, a former St Elizabeth Technical 400 metres hurdler, leads the way among the men. With a personal best of 48.79, the Texas A&M –Corpus Christi athlete is ranked at number two in his event.
The three athletes in the 110m hurdles are led by former Jamaica College star Phillip Lemonious of the University of Arkansas. Lemonius is at number five with his 13.44 seconds clocking. Lafranz Campbell, a former Calabar High athlete now competing for Clemson, is at number nine with 13.53 and Damion Thomas, the 60 metres hurdles indoor champion, competing for Louisiana State University, is at 13th with 13.60.
Sean Bailey, the top Jamaican male this season in the 400 metres along with Wayne Lawrence Jr, are both through in the one-lap event. Bailey, a senior at the University of Texas, El Paso, is ranked at seven with 45.31 while Lawrence out of the University of Iowa is at number 11 with 45.49.
Jamaicans will be well represented in the men’s field events. Six are in the triple jump where former Campion College student Jordan Scott (University of South Carolina) leads the way with 16.52 metres to be the second seed. Obrien Wasome 16.41m is at number five, Carey McLeod 16.24 at number eight, Safin Wills (16.08m) at number 13, Owayne Owens (16.03m) at number 17 and Clayton Brown (15.94m) at number 23 are the other qualifiers.
Brown, Wasome and Carey McLeod are in two events. Brown is 20th in the high jump with 2.16m and Wasome 15th in the long jump with 7.68m while McLeod is at three in the long jump with 8.08m and eighth in the triple jump with 16.24m.
Jullene Walker with 7.72 metres is ranked 12th in the long jump while Roje Shona (60.73m) is at five and Philipe Bennett (58.48m) is ninth ranked in the discus throw.