The 22-year-old Trinidadian won more medals on day two of the NCAA national championships on Friday evening.
A day after setting a new collegiate record in the pentathlon at the NCAA Nationals, Tyra Gittens won a silver and a bronze medal and set a new school record along the way Friday.
Gittens, who on Thursday, broke Kendall Williams’ five-year-old pentathlon record, cleared 1.90m to win the high jump, becoming the first woman to sweep the pentathlon and the high jump.
The mark was shy of her personal best 1.93m set the day before during the pentathlon, but it was more than enough to hold off South Carolina freshman Rachel Glenn and Georgia’s Anna Hall, who cleared 1.87m second and third, respectively, the latter losing out on the silver medal on the countback.
Two hours later, Gittens, the SEC Female Field Athlete of the Year, went on the hunt for another gold in the long jump but despite uncorking a personal best 6.68m, a new school record, she had to settle for the bronze medal.
Why? Well, Tara Davis of the University of Texas shattered the record of 6.91m that had been held by Jamaica’s Elva Goulbourne since 2002 when she launched out to 6.93m. It was at the championships since Auburn’s Whitney Gipson equalled Golbourne’s mark in 2015.
In addition to being the championship record, the 6.93m was also a meet record and a facility record for Davis.
The silver medal went to Florida’s Claire Bryant who produced her personal best 6.70m.
The bronze medal means that Gittens has earned 26 points for Texas A&M at the nationals, the third-most all-time at an NCAA meet.
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.
T&T's Head coach Eve believes Soca Warriors on path to success; urges support from local fans for next month's fixture
Well aware that many football enthusiasts are not fond of his leadership, Trinidad and Tobago’s Head Coach Angus Eve has encouraged the public’s continued support for the players, despite personal feelings of him.
Eve’s side recently secured two crucial victories over Curacao and El Salvador in their Concacaf Nations League campaign, and the strength of those performances has resulted in a climb up the latest FIFA World Rankings.
Trinidad and Tobago, who currently head Group A of League A on six points, jumped back into the top 100 on the world rankings after sometime away.
They will be aiming to make further inroads during the October window when they engage Guatemala and Curacao and Eve believes they deserve every bit of support.
“(The fans) may not come out and support Angus Eve because they may have an issue with Angus Eve, but let's support these players who are trying to do something positive for their country and nation. It's extremely important that people come out and support and understand that this is a new beginning,” Eve said at a media briefing recently.
"The campaign has started like a house on fire. It's a new beginning. There is a lot more work to be done, but we are well-placed and we have a good platform to build on.
"Our country is in a state where we're losing young people every day through violence and gun violence and to see young people do something positive for the country (is great). They go out and give their hearts to their country. It may be a case where we need to come out and support that," he added.
Given their current position, Eve knows that a win against Guatemala at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on October 13, would book Trinidad and Tobago a spot in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals where they will meet one of the four seeded Concacaf nations –Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico or the US.
As such, he stressed the significance of the 12th man to give players an extra lift when the time comes.
"Any team at home is dangerous. Some places don't think home advantage means anything, but we need to capitalise on home advantage and we need to capitalise on this start we have gotten. Hopefully, the fans will come out and celebrate these kids and push them forward so they can continue to achieve excellence,” the tactician said.
On that note, the 51-year-old Eve pointed out that though unexpected by many, the start to the Nations League is confirmation that his players are focused.
"We believe in ourselves and we believe that if we go out and do the work we can do, and match these teams' intensity, we can compete at this level,” he reasoned.
"Our first inclination would have been trying to stay in (Nations League) A, just like any team who (has been promoted) to the Premier League. We have to take it one game at a time. If we get a point, we are guaranteed a spot in the Nations League A. If we get three points, then who knows, the sky's the limit for us,” Eve ended.
T&T's Soca Warriors back in top 100 on FIFA World Rankings list; Reggae Boyz now at 56th
Eight-time Caribbean Cup champions Trinidad and Tobago have surged inside the top 100 on the FIFA World Rankings list for the first time in almost five years following recent wins over El Salvador and Curacao.
The Soca Warriors – in the latest list published Thursday – climbed four places up to 98th from 102, a spot they held in the last rankings in July. They were last inside the FIFA top 100 at 92nd in December 2018. Based on their world position, the twin island republic remains the fourth highest rated in Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz jumped two places up the FIFA list to 56th and remain number in CFU ahead of Haiti at 87th world ranked and Curacao (90th). Antigua and Barbuda complete the CFU’s top five at 137th.
In the only change to the CFU’s top 10, Guyana have climbed into 10th position with a three place move to 165th in the world, as Barbados – the result of Nations League losses to Montserrat and Nicaragua – slipped out of the top 10. The fell six places on the world list from 166th to 172nd.
World champions Argentina strengthened their grip at the summit of the world rankings. The Argentines, who dethroned Brazil at the top in April, defeated Ecuador and Bolivia in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier this month to improve their status.
Despite losing to Germany in a friendly last week, France retained second place, followed by Brazil (third), England (fourth) and Belgium (fifth).
Shericka Jackson stuns as she collects 2022 RJR/Gleaner Honour Award for Sports
In acknowledgement of her incredible exploits on the track in 2022, Shericka Jackson, the 2023 World 200m champion, was awarded the Gleaner Honour Awards at a ceremony held at the studios of Television Jamaica on Tuesday.
Jackson, who won the 200m world title in Eugene, Oregon, last year in a then championship record of 21.45, which at the time was the second fastest time ever run by a woman over the distance, also won a silver medal in the 100m behind compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She was also a silver medallist in the 4x100m relay.
The 29-year-old track and field superstar, who successfully defended her title in Budapest last month, was one of 11 recipients of the award that the Gleaner bestows on Jamaicans who were outstanding in their respective fields of pursuit.
Stunningly beautiful and statuesque, dressed in a black strapless sequined gown and white track shoes, Jackson collected her award in during the ceremony that was recorded Tuesday night and is to be aired on Television Jamaica later Wednesday evening.
“Thank you to the RJR/Gleaner Communications Group for acknowledging my hard work by presenting me with the RJR/Gleaner Honour Award in the field of Sports for my World Championships performance of 21.45. It was a pleasure,” she wrote on Instagram.
At the world championships in Budapest in August, Jackson smashed her own championship record when she ran 21.41 to win her second world title and capped her season by winning the 100m in 10.70 and the 200m in 21.57s at the Diamond League finals in Eugene on September 16 and 17.
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