Keyshawn Strachan advanced to his maiden NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships after throwing 74.63m at the NCAA East Regional on Wednesday.
Bahamian Auburn University Tigers sophomore Keyshawn Strachan produced a best throw of 74.63m in the men’s javelin competition of the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round competition at the University of Kentucky Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Kentucky, on Wednesday.
With the throw, the CARIFTA Under-20 record holder advanced to the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time.
The 20-year-old finished third in the Wednesday’s competition, with all three of his throws (70.54m, 71.37m, 74.63m) surpassing 70m.
His personal best and Bahamian national record 84.27m was done at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in 2023 at the Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Wanya McCoy, a junior for the University of Florida Gators, moved on to the quarterfinals of the men’s 100 and 200m, winning his heats in 10.29 seconds and 20.34 seconds respectively.
He finished tied with the sixth fastest time going into the quarters in both events, and will have to finish among the top 12 to move on to the NCAA Championships.
McCoy was a runner-up in both the 100m and 200m at the SEC Outdoor Championships in Gainesville earlier this month.
Also advancing in the 100m were Caymanian two-time Carifta U-20 gold medallist Davonte Howell of Tennessee (10.35), Jamaica’s Jehlani Gordon of Georgia (10.41) and T&T’s Omari Lewis on Liberty (10.39).
Jamaican Florida State Seminoles sophomore Jordan Turner also advanced to the NCAA Championships after jumping 7.74m to finish fourth in the men’s long jump.
American Championship Conference (ACC) outdoor shot-put champion Courtney Lawrence of Clemson also booked his spot at the NCAA Championships with a throw of 19.61m to finish sixth.
Jamaican LSU sophomore, Jahiem Stern, ran 13.38 to lead all qualifiers to the quarterfinals in the men’s sprint hurdles set for Friday.
Clemson senior and ACC Outdoor champion Tarees Rhoden made it through to the quarterfinals in the men’s 800m with 1:47.89 to win his preliminary.
Jamaica’s Jevaughn Powell of Florida (45.85), D’Andre Anderson of Clemson (45.87), Reheem Hayles of Florida (45.99) made it through to the quarters in the men’s 400m.
The men’s 400m hurdles saw Bajan Tennessee senior Rasheeme Griffith (50.40) and Jamaican South Florida sophomore Devontie Archer (51.13) make progress.
The 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships is set for June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Jamaica assembles 4x400m relay squad for New Life Invitational in final push for Olympic qualification
In a final bid to secure their spot at the Paris Olympic Games this summer, Jamaica's Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA) has announced a six-man relay team set to compete in the 4x400m relay at the New Life Invitational in the Bahamas on Sunday, June 17. The squad aims to surpass the qualifying mark of 2:58.45, a time that would move them ahead of France and Zambia, who have clocked 2:59.12, in the global rankings.
The selected athletes, Tarees Rhoden, Kimar Farquharson, Raheem Hayles, Jevaughn Powell, Shevioe Reid, and Malik James-King, bring a wealth of recent performance successes, particularly from the NCAA National Division 1 Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Powell, who ran a season-best 44.54 seconds to place third in the 400m final, demonstrated his relay prowess with a blistering 44.34-second split for the Florida Gators, contributing to their third-place finish in the 4x400m relay. Meanwhile, Farquharson, primarily an 800m specialist, demonstrated his versatility with a 44.38-second split on the third leg for Texas A&M, securing the gold medal.
Hayles also put in a solid performance at the NCAA Championships, finishing seventh in the 400m final with a time of 45.58 seconds. James-King, who ran 45.59 seconds earlier this year, rounds out the team, bringing additional depth and speed.
This upcoming race in the Bahamas represents Jamaica's last opportunity to qualify for the Olympics, as the national championships scheduled for June 27-30 at the National Stadium in Kingston fall within the Olympic qualification window, which closes on June 30.
The urgency of this attempt is underscored by Jamaica's disappointing performances at the World Relays in May, where the team failed to crack the top 16 globally.
In the preliminary round of the World Relays, a team consisting of Assinie Wilson, Zandrion Barnes, Demish Gaye, and Malik James-King posted a time of 3:02.48. The second-round team, which included Rusheen McDonald, Wilson, Gaye, and James-King, fared even worse with a time of 3:05.09, highlighting the need for a revitalized and more competitive squad.
Accompanying the athletes to the Bahamas are Team Manager Brian Smith, Head Coach Mark Elliott, Coach Lamar Richards, and Massage Therapist Oral Thompson, all of whom are integral to ensuring the team's optimal performance.
On paper, Jamaica's new lineup boasts the credentials to make a successful bid for Olympic qualification. With key athletes hitting peak form at the NCAA Championships, there is a renewed sense of optimism and determination within the team. As they take to the track at the New Life Invitational, the eyes of a nation will be watching, hopeful that this talented group can deliver a performance worthy of Olympic contention.
NCAA Championships 100m runner-up Brianna Lyston shuts down 2024 season
Louisiana State University (LSU) sophomore Brianna Lyston has decided to shut down her 2024 season meaning she will not compete at the Jamaican National Championships from June 27-30 at the National Stadium in Kingston.
The 20-year-old announced her decision in an Instagram post on Sunday after competing at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
“Thank you 2024, Breezy signing out,” she said.
This marks the end to an excellent second collegiate season for the former St. Jago and Hydel High standout.
Lyston enjoyed a perfect indoor season, going unbeaten in eight 60m races from January 27-March 9.
That included titles at both the SEC Indoor Championships as well as the NCAA Indoor Championships as well, establishing a personal best 7.03 at the latter.
Her season then moved outdoors where, in her first two 100m races of the season on March 30 and April 20, she produced wind-aided times of 10.87 and 10.84 at the Battle on the Bayou and the LSU Alumni Gold, respectively.
A month later at the SEC Championships, Lyston ran a personal best 10.91 to win the 100m title and 22.37 to finish fourth in the 200m.
Lyston secured 100m silver at the recently concluded NCAA Championships with a wind-aided 10.89 but she failed to advance to the final of the 200m after running 22.76 to finish fifth in her semi-final.
She also ran the opening leg on LSU’s silver medal-winning 4x100m quartet.
“I am so happy”: Smith beaming after completing jumps double at NCAA Championships; excited for Jamaica’s future in jumps
Texas junior Ackelia Smith made history at the recently concluded NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships when she became the first Longhorn to ever sweep the horizontal jumps.
Smith first defended her title in the long-jump event on Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon with a mark of 6.79 meters, becoming the first Texas woman to win back-to-back titles in 18 years.
Two days later, the 22-year-old won the triple-jump title with a season’s best mark of 14.52m.
In an interview with CITIUS MAG after her win in the triple jump, Smith, who is now a three-time NCAA Champion, expressed her joy at winning the double.
“I am so happy that I could come out there and get both of them done for my team and for myself. I was a little mopey about the long jump but I got back to the triple definitely took it out there,” she said.
“When I got to the triple jump I just told myself ‘hey, we’re here to compete.’ I was trying to get a personal best and, even though I did not get that, I was pretty consistent with my jumps,” she added.
In the long jump competition, half of Smith’s six attempts were fouls and her three legal jumps were the winning 6.79m, 5.21m and 6.77m.
She had a much better and more consistent showing in the triple jump, producing four legal jumps that all cleared 14m.
Smith says the key in the triple jump was to embrace the nervousness a bit more.
“I re-evaluated what I did for the long jump and realized that I might’ve been a bit too comfortable so I went out there trying to be more anxious and keep that edge. That’s what pushed me through out there,” she said.
Smith is a part of a golden generation of young Jamaican jumpers and sees a bright future for the island nation in the discipline.
“Growing up I used to hear about Kimberly Williams then after Kimberly came Shanieka (Ricketts). I’ve been looking up to these ladies and it’s been great to see the Jamaican jumps growing, especially the triple because not many people do the triple,” she said.
“It’s good to see actual growth and I’ve seen a lot more Jamaicans competing here at the championships. I think it’s wonderful for the future. Even on the guys side, it definitely looks good for Jamaica in the jumps,” Smith added.
Her next goal is to make it onto Jamaica’s team to the Paris Olympics and, hopefully, find herself on the podium at those Games.
The Jamaican trials are set for June 27-30 at the National Stadium in Kingston.
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