Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand delivered an impressive performance at the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday, finishing second in the women’s 60m dash in a season-best 7.25 seconds.

Bertrand, a 2024 Olympian and standout sprinter for Ohio State, was edged out by Missouri Southern’s Joy Udo-Gabriel, who clocked a personal best 7.24 seconds for the win. Canada’s Sade McCreath-Tardiel took third in 7.28 seconds, while Jamaica’s Neisha Burgher, fresh off her stunning 22.39-second 200m performance last week, finished fourth in 7.34 seconds.

Bertrand, known for her explosive starts, was quick out of the blocks and challenged Udo-Gabriel throughout the race. Despite falling just 0.01 seconds short of victory, her performance underlines her consistency as she fine-tunes her speed for the NCAA Indoor Championships and beyond.

Meanwhile, Neisha Burgher—who made headlines last week by becoming the third-fastest Jamaican woman ever indoors over 200m (22.39)—was unable to match her best over the shorter distance, settling for fourth in 7.34 seconds.

For Bertrand, her 7.25-second run is a confidence booster as she gears up for the NCAA Championships and future international competitions. Similarly, Burgher will look to build on her recent success as she continues to balance the 60m and 200m events this season.

With the Caribbean’s sprint talent shining on the NCAA circuit, both Bertrand and Burgher are poised for big performances in the coming weeks.