Despite spending only two years at Pittsburg State University, Morgan had a significant impact at the university where he earned a pair of All-America honours in 1995 with top-5 finishes both indoors (400) and outdoors (400 Hurdles).
The former St. Elizabeth Technical athlete would shine in his senior year when he was the runner-up in the indoor 400 and then won the 400H title, the first of four in a row for the Gorilla track & field program.
At the conference level, he captured seven MIAA crowns in two years. He completed the 400-400H double twice outdoors and snagged two quarter-mile crowns indoors, in addition to winning the indoor 200 in 1996.
This is the third time that an athlete from Pittsburg State has been inducted into the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame.
After his college career was over, Morgan enjoyed success at the senior level in Jamaica’s colours.
He won the Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles title in Malaysia in 1998, the same year he was CAC champion. He was also the silver medallist in the IAAF Grand Prix Final in Moscow that same year.
Morgan, now 47, won the bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships in Athens, Greece in 1997. He also won a bronze medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team at the 1997 World Indoor Championships in Paris, France.
Nugent clocked 39.81 to establish what is believed to be a Jamaican national record for the event. Her coach Lennox Graham was just grateful that she was well enough to run.
“She has been progressing well. Her foot issues, which prevented her attending practices for much of last year, have greatly improved,” he said.
“With the forced shutdown in late March she got some more time to focus even more on rehab - she was away from any training for about 7-8 weeks. So, I feel good about her current performance considering less than ideal preparations.”
Nugent at finalist at the 2017 World Championships in London was happy for the victory.
“Thankful for the big and little victories,” she posted on Instagram.
“Our plan was to just shake off the rust after being out with injuries last year. I didn’t know I broke the Jamaican national 300m hurdles record too! I’m so grateful for a little glimmer of hope in the world right now.”
Nugent was not the only Jamaican winner on Saturday as national 800m champion Natoya Goule was also victorious in the two-lap event.
With just one other competitor in the race, Goule cruised to victory in 2:00.43 and said afterwards that under the circumstances, she was satisfied with the performance.
“At first I wasn’t satisfied because I know I can run faster, but when I look on the face of it that I’m not in race shape and it is my first outdoor race I am satisfied,” she said.
“I’ve always opened up with two minutes outdoors and during the season I would get faster so I am satisfied considering that I took time off then started back up again during the lockdown. I know if I was able to compete like the norm, I would have run a good time even though I was running by myself.”
Laurie Barton was a distant second in 2:05.72.
Danielle Williams, the 2019 World Championship bronze medallist won the 100 hurdles in 13.23.
Salmon emerged as the fastest Jamaican qualifier, running a solid 53.95 seconds to finish second in her heat. The heat was won by gold medal contender Femke Bol, who clocked an impressive 53.38 seconds.
Clayton also made a strong impression, comfortably winning the opening heat with a time of 54.32 seconds. Clayton’s smooth and confident run positions her well for a possible place on the podium come Tuesday assuming she advances from the semi-finals.
Russell faced a bit more competition but still managed to qualify with ease. She finished third in her heat with a time of 54.67 seconds. The heat was won by the USA’s Anna Cockrell, who crossed the finish line in 53.91 seconds.
In addition to the Jamaicans, the competition will be fierce with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the defending champion and world record holder, who cruised to victory in the final heat with a time of 53.60 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone remains the strong favourite for the gold medal.
James-King, who posted a personal best of 47.42 to win the Jamaican national championships in June, delivered a smooth performance in the heats. He clocked 48.21 to comfortably win the last of five heats, securing his place as an automatic qualifier.
Clarke, who finished second to James-King at the Jamaican trial won Heat Four in a time of 48.17, ensuring his advancement to the semi-finals.
Hyde, competing in the opening heat against gold medal favorite Rai Benjamin, crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 49.08. Benjamin took the heat in an effortless 48.82. McMaster followed closely, securing third place in 49.24 to move on to the next round.
Among the other medal favorites, Norway’s Karsten Warholm emerged as the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals, winning Heat Two in an impressive 47.57. Frenchman Clement Docus achieved a lifetime best of 47.69 to take second place, while Abderrahman Samba of Qatar finished third in 48.85.
In another heat, Estonia’s Rasmus Magi led the pack with a winning time of 48.62, followed by the USA’s CJ Allen, who clocked 48.64. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, another strong contender for a medal, secured his semi-final spot with a time of 48.85.
Clayton's solid run of 53.97 earned her the top spot in the opening heat, surpassing former world-record holder Dahlilah Mohammed, who clocked in at 54.21. The German athlete Carolina Kraftik claimed third place with a time of 54.53, followed closely by Viivi Lehikoinen of Finland, who secured the fourth automatic qualifying spot with a time of 54.65.
Russell continued the Jamaican surge, executing a controlled performance that resulted in her winning the second heat in 54.53. She outpaced Anna Cockrell of the USA, who finished in 54.68. Gianna Woodruff of Panama secured the third position with a time of 55.31, while Canada's Savannah Sutherland secured the final automatic spot in the semifinals with a time of 55.85.
Andrenette Knight maintained the Jamaican success, finishing second in her heat behind Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain, who claimed first place with a time of 53.56. Knight's impressive run of 54.21 ensured her progression to the semifinals. Italy's Ayomide Folorunso secured the third qualifying spot with a time of 54.30, while Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands clinched the final automatic spot with a time of 54.95.
Meanwhile, the gold medal favorite Femke Bol of the Netherlands showed why she is the fastest woman in the world this year. Determined to make a statement after failing to lead her team to a medal in the Mixed Relays on Saturday, Bol clocked an impressive time of 53.39 in her heat, leaving her competitors trailing in her wake. Vicktoriya Tkachuck of Ukraine secured second place with a time of 55.05, while Hanne Claes of Belgium took third with a time of 55.1. Line Kloster of Norway clinched the final qualifying spot in the heat with a time of 55.23.
Great Britain's Jessie Knight won the final heat, finishing with a time of 54.27 and securing first place. She triumphed over Shamier Little of the USA, who took second place with a time of 54.40. Anna Ryzhykova of Ukraine secured third place with a time of 54.70, while Nikoleta Jichova of the Czech Republic secured the fourth qualifying spot with a time of 55.10.
James-King became the second fastest Jamaican in the history of the event with a massive personal best 47.42, almost a full second faster than his previous personal best of 48.39 done earlier this season, to claim the win.
National and World junior record holder and World Championship finalist Roshawn Clarke ran 48.04 in second while Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jaheel Hyde ran 48.35 for third.
“I just executed my race as best as I could,” James-King said after his stunning performance.
“I was just focusing on how I train, taking every hurdle as they come. I wasn’t really watching anyone and just running my race,” he added.
Regarding the time, James-King said he’s more excited than surprised.
Clarke was happy to get on his first Olympic team.
“The strategy tonight was to execute as best I could, get myself in the top three and make the team and work from there,” he said.
“I wanted to go faster but I made the team so I can’t complain,” he added.
Russell, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist, produced a season’s best 53.75 to hold off the fast finishing Andrenette Knight (53.78) and Rushell Clayton (53.81) who finished second and third.
For Knight, this serves as redemption. Last year, she missed out on a national title after falling with 100m to go in the final after leading the whole race.
On the men’s side, Roshawn Clarke produced one of the performances of the Championships to win his maiden national senior crown.
Clarke, still only 19, brought the National Stadium crowd into a frenzy with a brilliant, world junior record-equaling 47.85. Clarke’s time also puts him second on Jamaica’s all-time list for the event behind Winthrop Graham’s 47.60 done in 1993.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist and three-time national champion, Jaheel Hyde, was second in a season’s best 48.45 while Assinie Wilson ran a massive personal best 48.50 for third.
The 24-year-old Warholm came incredibly close to Kevin Young’s world record of 46.78 set back in 1992, when he ran 46.87, a European record, at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm in August.
Warholm also became the first athlete to run 47.10 or faster over the 400m hurdles multiple times during the course of a single season. He did it four times.
His remarkable performances made him the standout star in 2020 as every time he raced fans expected him to challenge or break the world record.
During a recent chat on Instagram Live with Olympian and athletics broadcaster Ato Boldon, Warholm was asked he if was ready to assume the mantle of the man to replace Usain Bolt. Achieving that, he said, would be impossible.
"When Usain Bolt came into the sport, he didn't have anyone right before him that... He didn't have any shoes to fill at that point,” he said.
"Now everybody talks about who's going to be the next Usain Bolt. Nobody is going to be the next Usain Bolt! Nobody is going to be the next Ato Boldon either.
"I think everybody's got to find their own way, Usain Bolt was huge so it's an honour just being compared to him but for me it's always been about developing.
"I don't want to build myself up as the face of the sport or the next Usain because for me it's about the running. If what comes with it is that people get inspired by what I'm doing, then I think that's great."
As the first athlete from the British Virgin Islands to clinch a medal at an outdoor global athletics championship, McMaster's achievement was laden with significance. Yet, amidst the jubilation and celebrations that followed his silver medal win in the 400m hurdles, McMaster's first instinct was to honor his mother's enduring support.
“Basically, it goes back to the early beginnings. My mom used to wake up 4:30 in the mornings, drop me at training with Coach Dag Samuels. So she’s been there from the beginning and made a lot of sacrifices. She’s been there. She understands me. She understands what I wanted to achieve, my paps, too, he understood, everybody understood.”
On the occasion of her birthday, McMaster walked over to his mother and gently placed the replica silver medal around her neck, saying ‘Mom, this is for you’. The act was a poignant gesture of appreciation, a tangible symbol of gratitude for her steadfast presence, and a reflection of the sacrifices she had made along his path to success.
The silver medal, achieved with a remarkable time of 47.34 seconds in the 400m hurdles, not only marked McMaster's personal triumph but also a moment of profound connection between a son and his mother. With tears of joy and pride shining in both their eyes, McMaster's tribute encapsulated the depth of his gratitude for her sacrifices and encouragement, even during the times when success seemed elusive.
Reflecting on the significance of the moment, McMaster shared: "It meant a lot. A lot because my mom’s been to a few of my games where we wanted to deliver a medal and I just couldn’t deliver for her at certain points. I didn’t want her to fly to Budapest for nothing. That would have broken my heart if I couldn’t deliver again, but she is going home with a silver medal."
McMaster's journey to this remarkable achievement was marked by challenges and setbacks, including previous global disappointments. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion and Diamond League champion, McMaster had, prior to Wednesday, always came up short on the global stage.
At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon he suffered a hamstring injury during the preliminary rounds and took no further part in the competition. At the championships in 2017, he was disqualified. In Doha in 2019, he was fourth and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics he was also fourth in a time of 47.08, a time that would have won him gold in every other Olympic year except for that year and in 1992 when Kevin Young ran a world record 46.78 to win.
However, this time, he broke free from the shadow of past struggles to secure his place on the podium.
The silver medal, earned behind Norway's Karsten Warholm's gold-winning performance, resonates as a testament to McMaster's resilience and his mother's unyielding support. Through this touching tribute, the hurdler's win becomes a shared victory—a celebration not just of his athletic prowess, but also of the bond between a son and the woman who helped shape his path to glory
LaFond produced 14.37m in the fifth round to win ahead of Jamaican two-time World Championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts (14.36m) and American Tori Franklin (13.87m).
LaFond made history in March when she became the first Dominican to win gold at a World Athletics Championships. She produced a national record 15.01m to take top spot at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
Elsewhere on Saturday, reigning World 400m champion Marileidy Paulino remained unbeaten this season with 50.27 to win ahead of World 800m champion Mary Moraa (50.56) and American Alexis Holmes (50.73).
2011 World champion Kirani James was second in the men's equivalent in a season's best 44.85 behind American 2022 World champion Michael Norman Jr who won in 44.53. Vernon Norwood was third in 44.86.
World Championship finalist and world U-20 record holder Roshawn Clarke opened his season in the 400m hurdles with a respectable 48.11 to finish second behind American Rai Benjamin who ran a world leading 46.64. World Championship silver medallist Kyron McMaster was third in 48.51.
Andrenette Knight ran a season’s best 54.69 for second in the women’s equivalent behind American Anna Cockrell who ran a season’s best of her own with 53.75. Cassandra Tate was third in 55.02.
On Friday's day one, Jamaica's Roje Stona threw 66.93m to win the men's discus ahead of Chile's Claudio Romero (64.12m) and the USA's Brian Williams (63.36m).
The former Hydel High and St. Jago High athlete won ahead of Georgia’s Kaila Jackson, who wasn’t far behind in second with 10.95, and LSU’s Thelma Davies who ran 11.01 in third.
She then ran 22.37 for fourth in the 200m final. Ole Miss’s McKenzie Long ran 22.03 for gold ahead of South Carolina’s JaMeesia Ford (22.11) and LSU’s Thelma Davies (22.17).
Earlier, she helped LSU take bronze in the women’s 4x100m in 42.49 behind Ole Miss (42.47) and Tennessee (42.42).
The 19-year-old Lyston ran wind assisted times of 10.87 and 10.84 earlier this season. She also claimed the indoor 60m titles at both the SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships in February and March.
In the men’s 100m final, Bahamian Florida junior Wanya McCoy ran a personal best 10.02 for second behind LSU’s Godson Oghenebrume who successfully defended his title in 9.99. Tennessee’s T’Mars McCallum ran 10.03 in third.
McCoy also ran a personal best 19.93 for second in the 200m behind Alabama’s Tarsis Orogot who ran a meet record 19.75 to take gold. Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba ran 20.00 for third
The 400m saw reigning Jamaican national champion Nickisha Pryce move to second all-time for Jamaica in the event with a brilliant 49.32 to win gold. Kaylyn Brown (49.47) and Amber Anning (49.51) took second and third to complete an Arkansas 1-2-3.
This is just a day after Pryce ran her previous personal best 49.72 to advance to the final.
Pryce's time is just outside of Lorraine Fenton's Jamaican record 49.30 set back in 2002.
Barbadian Tennessee senior Rasheeme Griffith ran 49.24 for third in the men’s 400m hurdles final behind Alabama’s Chris Robinson (48.43) and Tennessee’s Clement Ducos (47.69).
The women’s event saw Jamaican Ole Miss sophomore Gabrielle Matthews run a personal best 55.12 to win ahead of Georgia’s Dominique Mustin (55.60) and LSU’s Shani’a Bellamy (56.40).
The 26-year-old ran 47.27 to take the victory. Warholm ran 47.30 for second while Alison Dos Santos ran 47.62 for third.
McMaster is fresh off a 47.34 effort to take silver behind Warholm last week at the World Championships in Budapest.
McMaster, the two-time Commonwealth Games champion, won the second of the five heats in 48.47 ahead of Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.58) and the USA’s Trevor Bassit, who clocked in at 48.74. Kenya’s Wiseman Were Mukhobe was the final automatic qualifier from the heat when he finished fourth in 49.10.
Clarke, 19, who equaled the World U20 record of 47.85 at Jamaican national championships in July, was the fastest of the Caribbean men to advance, clocking 48.39 while finishing third in Heat 4 of the preliminary round.
The heat was won by Germany’s Joshua Abuaku in 48.47 ahead of Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.58) and the USA’s Trevor Bassit, who clocked in at 48.74. Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel was fourth in a personal best of 48.47.
Hyde finished second in his heat, the last of the five, in 48.63. Rai Benjamin of the USA won the heat in 48.35 with Japan’s Kazuki Kurokawa third in 48.71, a season’s best. Costa Rica’s Gerald Drummond was the other automatic qualifier in 48.73.
Also through were medal favourites Karsten Warholm, the Olympic champion and world record holder and Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, who clocked 48.76 and 48.12, respectively.
Caribbean athletes also featured strongly in the men’s event as Kirani James, Johnathan Jones and Christopher Taylor are all in the final eight.
Meanwhile, Rushell Clayton was the lone survivor of the semi-final round of the 400m hurdles. She ran a lifetime best to advance to the finals.
Bahamas’ sprint queen Miller-Uibo, the Tokyo Olympic champion, was the fastest heading into the final after she cruised to a comfortable victory in her heat in a season-best 49.55.
The Dominican Republic champion Paulino was also easily through as the Olympic silver medallist, the second fastest woman in the world this year, clocked 49.98 to win her heat.
McLeod, the Jamaican champion who was fifth in Tokyo, ran a season’s best 50.05 to qualify for the finals that is shaping up to be quite similar to the one that lined up in Tokyo last year with the notable exception being the American Allyson Felix.
McPherson, fourth in Tokyo advanced as one of the fastest losers courtesy of her 50.56 that saw her finish third in her heat behind winner Fiordaliza Cofil of the Dominican Republic, who ran a personal best 50.14 and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands who uncorked a new national record of 50.18.
The ever-improving Sada Williams of Barbados ran a season’s best 50.12 to also advance to the final.
The line-up is completed by Poland’s Anna Kiebasinska who advanced as one of the fastest losers with a time of 50.65.
Among the men, James was in impressive form winning his semi-final heat in 44.74 but was the fourth-fastest heading into the finals. Americans Michael Norman (44.30) and Champion Allison (44.71) and Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith (44.38) all had faster times.
Jones, who ran 44.78 and Taylor, a season-best 44.97, both also advanced as fastest losers.
Also through to the final, his first in five years, was 400m world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk. The South African clocked 44.75.
The final eight is completed by Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori who advanced with his time of 44.74.
Clayton, who was third at the Jamaican championships at the end of June ran a lifetime best 53.63 to advance to the finals of the 400m hurdles that will feature world record holder Sydney McLaughlin (52.17) and defending champion Dahlillah Mohammad (53.28 SB). Also through is The Netherlands’ star Femke Bol (52.84).
Puerto Rico’s Gianna Woodruff ran an area record of 53.69 to advance along with another US athlete Shamier Little who clocked a season-best 53.61.
The USA’s Britton Wilson also sneaked in with a time of 53.74.
Jamaican champion Janieve Russell (54.66) and runner-up Shian Salmon (54.16), each finished third in their respective heats but were not fast enough to advance to Friday night’s final.
The field will include a number of the world’s top hurdlers including global medallists including the likes of Rushell Clayton, Shamier Little and Dalilah Muhammad.
Muhammad won Olympic gold back in Rio eight years ago and took silver in Tokyo five years later. Her time in the Tokyo final, 51.58, remains a personal best and makes her the third-fastest woman ever.
At the World Championships, the 34-year-old won gold in 2019 in a then-world record 52.16. She was also among the medals in Moscow in 2013, London in 2017 and Eugene in 2022.
Clayton took bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and had a similar result last year in Budapest with a personal best 52.81.
Little is a two-time World Championship silver medallist. The first came back at the 2015 edition in Beijing and the second came in Budapest last year.
Her personal best 52.39 was done back in 2021 and puts her fifth all-time.
Saturday’s field is completed by two-time Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell, Pan Am Games champion Gianna Woodruff, World Championship finalists Andrenette Knight and Anna Cockrell and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Shiann Salmon.
Oakley, a former Clarendon College standout, was the fastest qualifier in Thursday’s heats at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium with 23.00 while Davis, a 200m semi-finalist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, ran 23.32 in the heats to advance to Saturday’s final as the fifth fastest qualifier.
Oakley is fresh off running a new 200m personal best 22.73 at the Texas Invitational on April 26. She competed at last year’s Big 12 Championships, failing to advance from the heats of the 400m.
Davis was a runner up in both the 100m and 200m at last year’s Big 12 Outdoor Championships with times of 11.04 and 22.51. She was beaten by former Texas teammate and current World Indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred in both events.
The men’s 200m saw Jamaican Baylor senior Demar Francis (20.66) and Bahamian Texas Tech sophomore Antoine Andrews (20.74) both advance to the final.
Trinidadian Houston junior Dillon Leacock ran 51.83 to advance to the final of the 400m hurdles.
"I am overwhelmed. We have been working hard over the years. We have done a lot with regards to Johnson C. Smith and the track and field programme. As a matter of fact, I was Coach (Lennox) Graham's first recruit, so it is just overwhelming that I am being acknowledged for all the efforts and the achievements," Green shared.
These days a Unit Manager at Piedmont Airlines, Green's journey at JCSU began in 2008, where he quickly made a name for himself. In his sophomore year, he was named the 2008-09 CIAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, setting the stage for an illustrious collegiate career. He became the NCAA defending indoor 400m national champion in 2008 and led the JCSU men's track team with standout performances across multiple events. Notably, he set a new Clemson University facility record of 1:03.52 in the 500m during the 2009 indoor season.
Born in the parish of St Mary but raised in St. Catherine, Jamaica, Green earned his second All-American honours for his indoor performance and set a personal best in the 200m with a time of 20.41 seconds, the fastest collegiate time in the nation that year. His prowess extended to the outdoor track as well, where he secured automatic qualifying times for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in both the 200m and 400m.
Green's dominance continued at the CIAA Outdoor Championships, where he was named MVP after winning the 200m, 400m hurdles, and placing second in the 400m. His remarkable athletic achievements were matched by his academic excellence, as he maintained a 4.0 GPA in information systems engineering. Green also received the Pettis Norman Award at the JCSU Annual Athletic Banquet, recognizing him as Student-Athlete of the Year.
The pinnacle of Green's collegiate career came in 2011 when he was named NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. That year, he finished the season undefeated and won the NCAA title in the 400m with a time of 45.74 seconds, outpacing the nearest competitor by a full second. He also won the 400m hurdles at the NCAA meet in 2010 and contributed to JCSU's winning 4x400m relay team and fifth-place 4x100m squad.
Green's impact extended beyond his individual accolades. At his conference meet, he earned 2011 CIAA Male Athlete of the Meet honors after winning the 400m and 400m hurdles, finishing second in the 200m, and running a leg on the Golden Bulls' second-place 4x400m relay team. His efforts earned him the title of Division II Male Track Athlete of the Year in 2010.
Reflecting on his time at JCSU, Green highlighted his freshman year as especially memorable. "My freshman year. It was a transitional period for me and Coach Graham. Freshman year, pretty much won indoors, new to all that stuff and came out national champion in the 400m was exceptional for me so it just showed I could overcome and keep on going further and further."
Green's achievements extended to the international stage, where he represented Jamaica at the 2012 London Olympics, finishing seventh in the 400m hurdles final. He also competed at the World Athletics Championships in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Additionally, Green won gold in the 400m hurdles for Jamaica at the 2010 and 2011 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Puerto Rico. After graduating, Green continued to contribute to JCSU as an assistant coach, mentoring the next generation of athletes.
Leford Green's induction into the Johnson C. Smith University Athletics Hall of Fame is a testament to his dedication, resilience, and excellence both on and off the track. His legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations of student-athletes to strive for greatness.
Parchment, who made it to the final of the event at the World Championships in Eugene before being unable to run after picking up a hamstring injury in the warm-up, ran a composed race to win heat one in 13.33 ahead of teammate Orlando Bennett (13.40).
Barbadian World Championship finalist Shane Brathwaite will also be in the final after finishing fourth in 13.42 and advancing as a fastest loser.
The fastest qualifier for the final came from heat two as Jamaican World Championship semi-finalist Rasheed Broadbell stormed to a season’s best 13.16 to win.
World Championship finalist Jaheel Hyde of Jamaica advanced to the final of the Men’s 400m hurdles alongside Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands. The pair finished first and second in heat two in 49.60 and 49.78, respectively.
Rhonda Whyte, a former Jamaican champion in the 400m hurdles also chalked up a victory as she continued to prepare for the Jamaican championships next month.
The 27-year-old McLeod, the defending Olympic champion, gave an early glimpse of what can be expected this season when he raced to victory in 13.11, the second-fastest time in the world this year. Only Grant Holloway, who dethroned the Jamaican at the 2019 Doha World Championships, has run faster this season.
The American ran a world-leading 13.07 in Gainesville, Florida on April 17.
The victory represents a welcome return to form for the Jamaican, who has struggled over the past few years during which he changed coaches twice. Now under the guidance of coach Rana Rieder at the Tumbleweed Track Club in Jacksonville, Florida, he seems to have rediscovered the form that led him to the Olympic title at Rio 2016 and the World title in London in 2017.
“Ran 13.11s today for a season opener! Fastest opener in over 4 years and first 110 race in almost 2 years!” he declared proudly on his Facebook page afterwards. That’s patience, hard work, faith, resilience, commitment, staying true to you, blocking out the noise and trust!”
The former Razorback defeated a quality field of athletes including former USA champion Devon Allen, who ran 13.26 while finishing second. The talented and dangerous Daniel Roberts finished third, stopping the clock at 13.30.
Also in the race was world-record holder Aries Merritt, who is making a comeback after a serious illness. He was sixth in 13.90.
Britany Anderson, the 2018 World U20 silver medalist ran a fast 12.69 to win the 100m hurdles. The time would have been a personal best had the trailing wind not been just above the allowable limit, registering at 2.1m/s.
Second place went to Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, who clocked 12.74.
Tia Jones, who edged Anderson at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, was third in 12.95, just ahead of Pedrya Seymour of the Bahamas who finished fourth in 12.96.
Former Jamaica national champion, Rhonda Whyte, won the 400m hurdles in 55.11 in an all-Caribbean 1-2-3. Whyte’s compatriot, Leah Nugent finished in second place in 56.12 while Sparkle McKnight from Trinidad and Tobago finished third in 56.54.
Parchment’s time was second fastest in qualifying behind American defending World Champion Grant Holloway’s 13.14.
Also advancing to the semi-finals were Jamaicans Rasheed Broadbell (13.36) and Orlando Bennett (13.55) as well as Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite (13.47).
The Men’s 400m hurdles saw four Caribbean athletes progress to the semi-finals.
Jamaica’s Kemar Mowatt ran 49.44 to finish second in his heat behind Olympic bronze medallist and 2022 world leader Alison Dos Santos of Brazil (49.41).
Mowatt’s Jamaican teammate Jaheel Hyde finished third in his heat in 50.03 behind Norewgian Olympic Champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm (49.34) and Belgium’s Julien Watrin (49.83).
Jamaica's Shawn Rowe finished sixth in heat four but his time of 49.51 was good enough to see him advance.
Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands also advanced safely after a 49.98 effort for fourth in his heat behind the USA’s Khalifah Rosser (48.62), Ramsey Angela of the Netherlands (49.62) and Sweden’s Carl Bengstrom (49.64). American Olympic silver medallist Rai Benjamin ran 49.06 to in his heat and also safely advance.
In the field, Shanieka Ricketts, Kimberley Williams and Ackelia Smith all advanced to the final of the Women’s triple jump.
Ricketts jumped 14.45m to advance with the fifth furthest jump in qualifying while Smith was eighth furthest with a personal best 14.36m. Williams was the 12th furthest jumper in qualifying with 14.27m.
Ana Lucia Jose Tima of the Dominican Republic had the third farthest jump in qualifying with a new national record 14.52m while Dominica’s Thea Lafond (14.39m) and Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez (14.30m) will also be in Monday’s final. Venezuelan world record holder Yulimar Rojas led all qualifiers with 14.73m.
Jamaicans Lamara Distin and Kimberly Williamson both jumped 1.90m to advance to the final of the Women’s high jump.
