Nugent ran personal bests of 7.81 and 7.20 for silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the 60mh and 60m dash at the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
In her first conference championships since she transferred from Baylor in the Big 12, Ackera Nugent set a pair of new personal bests in the 60m hurdles and 60m dash as Arkansas crowned themselves SEC champions on Saturday.
Nugent, who holds the U20 60m world record of 7.92, stormed to a personal best 7.81 to win the silver medal behind NCAA record holder Masai Russell, who took gold in 7.77s.
The winning time was just outside Russell’s collegiate record of 7.75 run earlier in the season.
Russell, a senior at Kentucky, broke the previous meet record of 7.89 set by LSU’s Tonea Marshall in 2020 and facilities record of 7.79 that had been held by Clemson’s Briana Rollins since 2013.
Nugent, who was also under the previous meet record, eclipsed her previous best of 7.88 set in January.
Tennessee’s Charisma Taylor ran 8.03 for the bronze medal.
Nugent would have gone into the hurdles final with a boost in confidence after winning the bronze medal in the 60m dash in a personal best of 7.20, finishing just behind silver-medallist Georgia’s Kaila Jackson who clocked 7.17.
Tennessee’s Jacious Sears ran a personal best 7.11 to win the gold medal.
Arkansas’ women topped the table with 130.5 points. Florida was second with 84 while Tennessee finished third with 56.33 points.
Alabama and Ole Miss shared fourth place with 54 points each.
Meanwhile, Arkansas' men also wrapped up the men's title scoring 102.25 points, some of which were contributed by Clemson's Roje Stona.
The former St Jago thrower hit a brand new personal best of 19.96m that won him the bronze medal in the men's shot put.
The top three men all produced personal bests as silver-medallist Jordan West of Arkansas hit his best throw ever of 20.29m.
The winner, John Meyer of LSU, had the winning mark of 20.37m.
Florida finished second in the men's standings with 73 points while Alabama's 63 points put them third.
Georgia (59) and Tennessee (54) rounded out the top five.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Roje Stona leaning towards potential NFL career shift: "I'm curious to see what I can do on the field..."
Roje Stona, Jamaica’s Olympic discus champion who created history in Paris this summer with a record-breaking throw of 70m, is contemplating a surprising career shift to the NFL. The 25-year-old, who became the first Jamaican to win Olympic gold in the shot put, is exploring the possibility of trying his hand in American football, a sport he has little experience in but significant curiosity about.
Prior to the Paris Olympic Games, the former Ruseas and St Jago High School student and Clemson University and University of Arkansas alumnus took part in NFL rookie training camps with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. Though unfamiliar with the game—he donned a football helmet for the first time during these sessions—Stona is intrigued by the opportunity to translate his athletic prowess to the football field. "If there’s like a 99 percent chance that I’ll make a team, then, obviously, I’ll go for it,” Stona shared in an interview with CNN Sport, acknowledging the risk to his athletics career, "but if it’s like one or two, though, I got to be realistic."
Having initially been inspired by Usain Bolt's Olympic gold at Beijing 2008, Stona gravitated toward athletics after a youth spent exploring various sports, including soccer, his first love. It wasn’t until high school that he found his true calling in track and field, particularly the discus throw. "I yanked it, it just dropped right out of 20 meters," he recalled of his first experience with the discipline.
Stona’s path to Olympic glory was further shaped by his collegiate career in the United States. At Clemson and later at the University of Arkansas, he was mentored by Ryan Crouser, a three-time Olympic shot put champion. Crouser’s guidance during Stona’s final year of collegiate eligibility instilled in him the confidence to push his limits, ultimately leading to his standout performance in Paris.
While his NFL aspirations remain in the exploratory stage, Stona is taking a calculated approach. With the NFL season already underway, he plans to prioritize rest and recovery after a demanding athletics season but admits his interest is piqued. "Everywhere I go, people don’t ask, ‘Hey, you’re a discus thrower?’ No, people don’t ask that!" Stona joked. “Especially in the States, they ask, ‘Do you play football?’”
Stona’s next steps will involve discussions with agents and coaches to assess the feasibility of an NFL career. "As soon as I get advice from agents and coaches, that will put me in a better position to make a very important decision or just be more decisive if it’s worth it or not,” he said. “If that part leads me there, then I’m going to give it my all because it’s kind of now or never. I’m curious as to what I can do on the field, and if I end up playing in the NFL, that would be a part of my legacy – I’d love to do that.”
Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke, Ackera Nugent sign with Grand Slam Track
Grand Slam Track™, the new global home of professional track competition, launched earlier this year by four-time US Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, today officially announced the signings of Jamaican Olympians Ackera Nugent and Roshawn Clarke.
Both athletes competed at the Paris Olympics this past summer, and they will now compete in all four Grand Slam Track™ Slams in 2025, giving fans the chance to see them race on the world stage.
“Ackera and Roshawn are incredible talents who have achieved major success at such a young age,” said Michael Johnson, the league’s founder and Commissioner.
“Both of them have already made their mark on the global stage, and I’m excited to see how they continue to grow in Grand Slam Track™. They represent the next generation of world-class Jamaican competitors, and I know they’re going to bring something special to the league.”
Nugent specializes in the 100m hurdles and is one of Jamaica’s top emerging athletes.
She holds the 2021 World U20 Championship title and set a national record of 12.28 seconds at the 2024 Jamaican Championships.
A rising star, Nugent competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics and reached the final of the 100m hurdles. Nugent continued her international season after Paris and lowered her national record to 12.24 seconds at the Rome Diamond League making her the 4th fastest women in the history of the event.
Her progression from U20 champion to global contender has solidified her as one of the brightest young talents in the hurdles.
“For me, it’s all about growth,” said Nugent.
“I’m constantly looking for ways to get better, and Grand Slam Track™ gives me the platform to do just that. Racing at this level, over and over, against the best in the world, is what I’ve always wanted, and I’m ready to see how much more I can achieve.”
Roshawn Clarke, at just 20 years old, has already made a significant mark in the 400m hurdles.
After setting a world U20 record of 47.34 seconds at the 2023 World Championships, he went on to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, reaching the final.
His rapid rise has earned him recognition as one of Jamaica’s most promising young athletes.
“I like the idea of Grand Slam Track™ because it changes how things usually are in track,” said Clarke.
“I’m ready to jump into this and compete against the best while testing myself. This league gives me that chance. Racing in all four Slams means I’ll have the opportunity to show what I can really do.”
Nugent and Clarke join a stacked roster of talents announced so far in Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Melissa Jefferson, Masai Russell, Quincy Hall, Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Grant Fisher, Josh Kerr, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Nikki Hiltz, Cyrena Samba-Mayela, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Alison Dos Santos, Ronald Kwemoi, Muzala Samukonga, and Clement Ducos.
Camacho-Quinn, Peters crowned champions as Caribbean athletes end Diamond League finals on high
Grenada’s javelin thrower Anderson Peters and Puerto Rico’s sprint hurdler Jasmine Camacho-Quinn were on song in their respective events, as they brought the curtains down on the season in champion fashion on day two of the Diamond League finals in Brussels on Saturday.
While Peters and Camacho-Quinn logged the only victories, it was another positive day all-round for Caribbean athletes, as Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon, Ackera Nugent, and Rajindra Campbell, as well as the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando, all secured podium finishes to also end their seasons on a high.
Camacho-Quinn, the Paris Olympic Games bronze medallist, left rivals in her wake to win the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.38s. Dutchwoman Nadine Fisherman (12.54s) and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent (12.55s) secured the other podium spots. Another Jamaican, Danielle Williams (12.62s), was fifth.
Peters, also a bronze medallist from the Paris Olympics, again demonstrated his rich vein of form with an opening throw of 87.87m that was not to be beaten. India’s Neeraj Chopra (87.86m) kept things interesting but had to settle for second, while Germany’s Julian Weber (85.97m) was third.
For Salmon (53.99s), a well-paced race proved rewarding as she stayed on for third in the Women’s 400m hurdles, even after stumbling over the final obstacle. The event was won by Dutchwoman Femke Bol (52.45s), who secured a third consecutive Diamond League title, while American Anna Cockrell was second in 53.71s.
The other Jamaicans, Janieve Russell (55.94s) and Andrenette Knight (56.70s), were seventh and eighth, respectively.
Brazil’s Alison dos Santos reigned supreme in the men’s 400m hurdles, as he outclassed the field to win in 47.93s. Qatar’s Abderrahman (48.20s) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.26s) were second and third, respectively.
Jamaican duo Roshawn Clarke (49.08s) and Malik James-King (49.37s) were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the men’s 400m hurdles.
Meanwhile, Ogando (19.97s) placed third in the men’s 200m, which was won by American Kenneth Bednarek in a brisk 19.67s. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (19.80s) was well-beaten into second.
Earlier, Campbell took bronze in the men’s shot put with a best throw of 21.95m. The event was won in fine style by Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who threw a meet record of 22.98m. American Ryan Crouser (22.79m) was second.
Elsewhere in the field, Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford struggled for rhythm in the men’s high jump and had to settle for fourth at 2.22m. Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi finished tops at 2.34m, with Ukraine’s Oleg Doroshchuk (2.31m) and South Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok (2.225m) taking second and third, respectively.
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