Jamaican Olympian Jonielle Smith won her 60m season opener at the 2023 Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational in Boston on Saturday.
The 2019 World Championship sprint-relay gold medalist, who recently celebrated her 27th birthday ran 7.50 in the preliminary round before winning the final in 7.35. The MVP International sprinter held off the fast-finishing Dominique Clarke, who ran 7.38 for second.
Third was Smith’s MVP teammate Kasheika Cameron, who crossed the finish line in 7.58.
It was a welcome return to competition for the 2018 CAC 100m champion who has been plagued by injury over the past two seasons and who ran only three 100m races in 2022 at the Jamaica National Championships in June.
Meanwhile, Michael Campbell also of MVP International won the men’s equivalent in 6.71 as he continues his return from a broken back suffered during a motorvehicle accident in 2017 that claimed the life of his friend Jordon Scott.
Campbell won in a close finish with Ethan Exilhomme, who was timed in 6.73.
Bryan Sosoo was third in 6.85.
In the Men’s 400m, Akeem Bloomfield, who is now a member of the Puma Chase Athletics Training Group after a year at Tumbleweed in Florida, finished second to Wellington Ventura in a tight finish.
Ventura clocked 47.10 to Bloomfield’s 47.11.
Shevioe Reid was third in 47.21.