The team of the Clayton twins, Brandy Hall and Shenequa Vassell scorched the track to run a time of 44.64 to win their heat. Hydel High (46.37) and IMG Academy (47.03) were second and third fastest to the final.
Holmwood Technical (47.12), Immaculate Conception (47.15), St. Catherine High (47.56) and St. Jago (47.37) will also be in Friday's final.
Holmwood Technical’s Cedricka Williams was dominant in winning the High School Girls discus with a throw of 54.00m. Camperdown’s Victoria Christie was second with 44.88m while Ella Lucas from Warwick High School was third with 42.53m.
Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole, who ran the first leg on Jamaica’s world record-breaking U-20 girls 4x100m team at the recently concluded Carifta Games, jumped 5.98m for second in the High School Girls long jump behind Avery Lewis of Friends’ Central (6.05). Hailey Rios of Somerset jumped 5.84m for third.
St. Jago’s Annishka McDonald was third in the High School Girls' high jump after clearing 1.69m. The event was won by Spring-Ford’s Nene Mokonchu (1.72m) while Conard’s Audrey Kirkutis was second with 1.69m.
The 2022 Penn Relays will run from April 28-30.
The Bowerman is an award given to the year’s best student-athlete in American collegiate track & field.
There was also a pre-NCAA Indoor Championships list revealed earlier in March that included Alfred and Distin.
St. Lucian Texas senior Alfred capped off a spectacular indoor season with a personal best and collegiate record 6.94 to defend her NCAA Indoor title. Her time made her the fastest Caribbean woman ever in the event and put her joint-second all-time behind Irina Privalova’s 6.92.
The 21-year-old also won gold in the 200m in 22.01, another collegiate record and the second fastest time ever behind Jamaican Merlene Ottey’s 21.87 done 30 years ago in Lille.
Arkansas sophomore Nugent, who was absent from the list released before the championships, earned her way on to the new one when she won gold in the 60m hurdles in 7.73.
On day one of the meet, Nugent, 20, set a new collegiate and Jamaican national record when she ran 7.72 in the prelims. That time puts her fourth on the all-time list for the event.
23-year-old Texas A&M senior Distin completed another unbeaten indoor season with a 1.91m clearance to win the high jump. In February, Distin cleared 1.97m to equal her own Jamaican record.
The other seven athletes on the watch list are Florida’s Jasmine Moore and Talitha Diggs, Kentucky’s Masai Russell, NC State’s Kaetlyn Tuohy, Oregon’s Jorinde Van Klinken, Stanford’s Roisin Willis and Arkansas’s Britton Wilson.
Reigning Olympic Gold and Bronze medallists Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson were also safely through to Friday’s semi-finals with times of 11.06 and 10.99, respectively.
2011 World 100m Champion Yohan Blake ran his fastest time since 2017 with a 9.93 effort to advance to the semi-finals in the Men’s equivalent.
The fastest Jamaican in 2022, Oblique Seville, was also in fine form with an easy 9.98 clocking to win his heat.
Conroy Jones (10.00), Ackeem Blake (10.01), Oshane Bailey (10.03) and Kemar Bailey-Cole (10.06) were also among the fastest qualifiers to Friday’s semis.
There was a surprise in the Women’s high jump as Kimberly Williamson won her seventh national title with a 1.88 clearance ahead of pre-meet favourite Lamara Distin on Texas A&M University who cleared 1.85m.
Distin, the NCAA Champion, twice broke the Jamaican national record this season and her best clearance, 1.97m, places her third on the world list this season.
“I just felt like my run-up felt wrong today. It wasn’t the perfect day to jump so I just feel like it’s one of those days I have to accept and move on from,” Distin said.
“My expectation at the World Championships is to be in the medals,” she added.
The 18-year-old Hibbert was easily the star of the day. The 2022 World Junior Champion produced an incredible personal best of 17.87m to take the Men’s triple jump crown ahead of Arkansas teammate Ryan Brown (16.43m) and Alabama's Christian Edwards (16.22m).
Hibbert opened the competition with a 17.02m effort before throwing down the biggest jump of his career so far in the second round. As he has done for most of the season to preserve his legs, he passed on his next four attempts.
Hibbert’s mark is also a new collegiate record, world lead and world junior record and puts him in a three-way tie for 13th on the all-time list.
Earlier in the day, Stona, also of Arkansas, produced a personal best 68.64m, the second furthest throw in collegiate history, to win the Men’s discus ahead of teammate and countryman Ralford Mullings (62.00) and Alabama’s Alan de Falchi (61.82m).
Distin continued her unbeaten run in the high jump this season with a 1.91m clearance to win ahead of Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko (1.88m) and Tennessee’s Cheyla Scott (1.85m).
On the track, Arkansas’s Ackera Nugent ran a personal best 12.43 for second in the Women’s 100m hurdles behind LSU’s Alia Armstrong’s 12.40. Kentucky’s Masai Russell was third in 12.47.
Another Jamaican Arkansas athlete, Phillip Lemonious, was second in the Men’s 110m hurdles in 13.63 behind Tennessee’s Devon Brooks (13.53). Another Tennessee athlete, Cayman’s Rasheem Brown, was third in 13.64.
It was her second hold on the award and the first time an athlete has won it outright since 1997.
In two weeks, she will seek pentathlon redemption at the NCAA National Championships where she intends to break the collegiate record of 4703 points held by Georgia’s Kendall Williams.
“To win the Cliff Harper Award for the second time was definitely a good feeling. After my performance on Thursday, I was definitely down, I was definitely embarrassed, I was definitely upset but it’s all about the comeback. It’s all about how you come back from a terrible performance,” she told Sportsmax.TV.
“We are all human. We are all going to have those days as athletes but I was very proud of myself. This is my first time winning two gold medals at SECs and I was so happy to be able to put up 23 points. It’s reassuring knowing my team can rely on me and I know I can rely on myself to come back from devastating situations.”
Expected to do well in the pentathlon, after scoring a personal best 4612 points at the Texas Tech Invitational on January 29, things could not have gone worse for the 22-year-old Trinidadian in her efforts to defend the title she won in 2020.
The worst of those performances came in the long jump where she only managed to register a mark of 4.11m, well below her season-best of 6.62m.
She was forced to settle for sixth place, her score of 3818 points, a massive 703 shy of the 4501 scored by the newly crowned 2021 champion, Anna Hall of Georgia.
Despondent and embarrassed by her poor showing, Gittens turned to family for refuge.
“After talking to my family and talking to my sister, she played college volleyball, and she said anytime a negative thought would come in she would grab the thought and just throw it away and all of last night (Thursday) that is what I was doing,” she revealed.
“I wouldn’t even let it linger. As soon as I felt some negativity, I just grabbed it and threw it away and it worked because today (Friday) it was only positive and negative Tyra was out of sight.”
It worked.
Within an hour late Friday, Gittens won two gold medals for Texas A&M. First, cleared 1.89m – just shy of her personal best 1.91m - in the high jump to defeat LSU’s Abigail O’Donohogue and avenge her pentathlon loss to Hall, who were second and third, respectively, each having cleared 1.86m.
She then equalled her personal best (6.62m) to win the long jump ahead of LSU’s Aliyah Whisby (6.61m) and Georgia’s Titiana Marsh (6.39m).
“Today (Friday) was all about beating myself because yesterday I let the negative Tyra, the bad Tyra that we don’t like to see, overtake,” said an elated Gittens afterwards.
“I let her win yesterday and today (Friday) I relaxed, I had fun. I did everything that I wanted to do with executing and I cannot be happier. I am exhausted, but I am so proud of myself, and I am very happy.”
The comeback completed, redemption comes next and that will be the point of her focus over the next two weeks.
“These two weeks are going to be very important. I have a lot to work on,” she said. “I am going to use it to train and just get consistent and I am coming for the NCAA record.”
Also, new has emerged that Jamaica will not contest the re-run of the Boys U20 4x100m final that they won on Saturday night at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. Jamaica won the relay in 39.68 with the Bahamas finishing second in 39.78.
Trinidad and Tobago finished third in 40.82.
On Monday, The Bahamas took gold and silver in the Girls U17 javelin as Kamera Strachan set a new championship record of 46.07m to win gold. Last year’s winner Dior-Rae Scott, who was the previous record holder, struggled to throw beyond 40m in her first two attempts, but was finally able to establish a mark of 45.13m to secure the silver medal.
It was her only throw beyond 40m.
St Lucia’s Naya Jules threw 42.92m to win the bronze medal in what was her only effort beyond the 40-metre mark.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Torian Cavien cleared 1.81m to win the U20 Girls high jump over teammate Deijanae Bruce, who cleared 1.78m. Keneisha Melbourne of Trinidad and Tobago won the bronze having sailed over the bar at 1.75m.
It was 1-3 for Jamaica in the U20 Girls Jade-Ann Dawkins who produced a season-best 6.14m on her fourth jump to take the crown.
Gannes Janae De of Trinidad and Tobago took the silver medal with her leap of 5.93m while Bruce followed up her silver in the high jump with bronze in the horizontal jump where she produced a leap of 5.78m.
Regarding to the relays, the judges in The Bahamas decided on a re-run of the relay after Barbados filed a protest claiming their lead-off runner was left at a disadvantage after the race was recalled when the Bahamian athlete claimed he did not hear the gun.
By then the lead off runners had sprinted about 50 metres.
However, reports said Jamaica’s head coach David Riley said Jamaica would not participate in the re-run because the officials had not declared the race null and void. Unconfirmed reports claimed that other countries who had teams in the final were planning to follow suit.
Reid, who ran a spectacular National Junior Record 10.92 to win gold in the Class 1 Girls 100m at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships last week, easily took home gold in 11.17 ahead of teammate Alexis James who ran 11.53 for second and Trinidad & Tobago’s Sanaa Frederick who ran 11.65 in third.
The Boys final did not have the same excitement due to the absences of Jamaica’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, who suffered an injury in the prelims, and De Andre Daley, who was disqualified in his semi-final due to a false start.
Nevertheless, Howell produced an excellent 10.30 for gold ahead of the Bahamian pair Carlos Brown (10.38) and Adam Musgrove (10.44). Brown and Musgrove both ran personal bests.
The Under-17 Girls final was won by the Bahamas’ Jamiah Nabbie in 11.67 ahead of St. Lucia’s Naomi London (11.72) and Trinidad & Tobago’s Alexxe Henry (11.81).
Jamaica’s Tramaine Todd took home gold in the Boy’s equivalent in 10.52 ahead of the Bahamas’ Ishmael Rolle (10.62) and Grenada’s Ethan Sam (10.71).
Moving on to the 400m, Jamaica secured the top to spots on the podium in the Under-20 Boys through Jasauna Dennis (46.43) and Delano Kennedy (46.50) while St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Amal Glasgow took bronze in 47.18.
Jamaica also took gold in the Girls Under-20 final through Rickiann Russell (51.84). Bahamas took silver and bronze through Javonya Valcourt (52.12) and Lacarthea Cooper (53.12).
Nickecoy Bramwell made it three 400m gold medals out of four for Jamaica by winning the Boys Under-17 final in 47.86 ahead of St. Kitts & Nevis’ Jaylen Bennett (48.59) and the Bahamas’ Andrew Brown (48.68).
Guyana’s Tianna Springer took gold in the Girls Under-17 final in 54.32 ahead of Jamaica’s Jody-Ann Daley (54.81) and St. Kitts & Nevis’ De’Cheynelle Thomas (55.46).
In the field, Trinidad & Tobago’s Immani Matthew took gold in the Boys Under-17 long jump with 7.13m ahead of Barbados’ Aaron Massiah (6.49m) and Cayman’s Junior Anthony Chin (6.48m).
Jamaica took the top two spots in the Boys Under-20 discus through Kobe Lawrence (60.27m) and Shaiquan Dunn (57.28m). Antwon Walkin of the Turks & Caicos Islands was third with 52.25m.
Jamaican World Junior Champion Brandon Pottinger teammate Chavez Penn shared gold in the Boys Under-20 high jump with clearances of 2.00m while Trinidad & Tobago’s Jaidi James took bronze with 1.95m.
The 22-year-old had a first-time clearance at 2.17m before clearing 2.22m on his second attempt.
He then exited the competition after three failures at his season’s and personal best height of 2.27m.
New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr took gold over the USA’s Shelby McEwen after a jump-off.
Both men had identical cards after successful first-time clearances at 2.36m, an Oceania record for Kerr and personal best for McEwen, and three failures at 2.38m.
In the subsequent jump-off, both men failed at 2.38m and 2.36m before Kerr successfully cleared 2.34m after a failure from McEwen.
Bahrain’s Mutaz Essa Barshim secured his fourth Olympic high jump medal with a season’s best 2.34m in third.
Palomino entered the competition with a first-time clearance of 2.05m before clearing 2.10m on his second attempt.
He then needed three attempts to clear 2.14m before eventually clearing 2.17m, his winning height, on his second attempt. Palomino then had three unsuccessful efforts to clear 2.20m, his personal best which he did to win at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships on February 20.
Corvell Todd and Jacob Patten both cleared 2.10m for second and third.
Barton County Community College sophomore Christopher Young was also a winner on Saturday, producing 18.57m for top spot in the men’s shot put.
Memphis sophomore Sascha Schmidt threw 18.43m in second while Southern Miss sophomore Piers Cameron threw 17.95m for third.
On the track, Florida State sophomore Shenese Walker won the women’s 200m in 23.20 ahead of teammate Kaniya Johnson (23.62) and Southern Miss senior Kenia Seals (23.65).
The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games is witnessing the continued growth and development of the field sports which augurs very well for the future.
JOA President, Christopher Samuda, in acknowledging the advancement of the field sports stated: "Shanieka Ricketts' admirable performance in accomplishing that gold in the triple jump - her first major title - and in so doing writing her name indelibly in the history book of the Commonwealth Games demonstrates that our footprints go deep and are well established in the sand."
Travis Smikle, a seasoned campaigner, hurled the discus in Birmingham in securing the bronze medal in the men's event which is well decorated with Fedrick Dacres, our national record holder and former Olympic Solidarity Scholarship recipient, and Chad Wright. O'Dayne Richards, a JOA Scholarship awardee who placed sixth in the finals of the men's shot put in Birmingham, is an experienced soldier with gold medals in his cabinet.
"We are proud of our women and men in the field events who continue to be an inspiration to generations of youth who aspire to emulate them and who the JOA salute with the greatest of respect" JOA Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster, said with evident pride.
The golden leap of Lamara Distin in the women's high jump and the bronze achievement of Kimberly Williamson in that event are crowning moments for independence. "At a time when we are celebrating independence it is uplifting to know that landmark achievements in various sports are being established as we, in the JOA, pursue our mandate 'sport for all, all for sport" Foster said.
Kimberly Williams, a celebrated medalist, and a Ackelia Smith, who leapt to a personal best at the games, both represented our nation well in the finals of the triple jump and "exemplify the character and mettle of our national ambassadors who are establishing milestones and creating legacies in sport" Samuda remarked.
Alfred, who ran 10.90 to win her semi-final on Thursday, sped to 11.02 to finish ahead of Jamaican Oregon senior Kemba Nelson who ran the same time, and Kentucky’s Abby Steiner (11.08).
Jamaican record holder Lamara Distin of Texas A&M produced a clearance of 1.95m to win the high jump over Abigail Kwarteng of Middle Tennessee State (1.94m) and South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn (1.86m).
Jamaican Texas A&M Sophomore and former Hydel standout Charokee Young ran 50.65 for second in the 400m behind Florida’s Talitha Diggs who ran a personal best 49.99 for victory. Texas’ Kennedy Simon was third in 50.69.
Texas A&M’s Distin, who has yet to lose indoors this season, jumped 1.97m to win ahead of teammate Bara Sajdokova who produced 1.87m while Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko jumped 1.84m for third.
Distin’s mark equals her own outdoor national record which she did on her way to winning gold at the NCAA Championships.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist has now achieved winning clearances this season of 1.90m at the Razorback Classic on January 27, 1.94m at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic on February 3 and 1.97m on Saturday.
Elsewhere, 2019 World Championships shot put silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.74m to comfortably win the event ahead of Hannah Hall who threw 16.71m and Ana da Silva who threw 16.60m for third.
Jamaicans also occupied the top two spots in the Men’s triple jump as Virginia’s Owayne Owens produced 16.59m for victory ahead of Kentucky’s Luke Brown who produced 16.43m. Ohio State’s Clarence Foote-Talley was third with 15.88m.
The 23-year-old Commonwealth Games champion, who has been slightly off her best form this season, cleared 1.92m to advance from Group A along with medal favourite Yaroslava Mahuchikh of the Ukraine. Distin began jumping at a height of 1.80 and had a miss at 1.89m. She eventually cleared that height and then soared over 1.92m.
American Vashti Cunningham advanced from Group B alongside Australia’s medal prospect Nicola Olyslagers and Urkaine’s Iryna Geranshcenko.
Williamson’s best effort was 1.85m, which despite being a season’s best performance, was not good enough to see her advance.
The reigning NCAA Champion won ahead of teammate Bara Sajdokova who recorded a new personal best clearance of 1.83m while Arkansas’ Sydney Billington cleared the same height for third.
Jamaican 400m hurdler Jaheel Hyde opened his 2023 season with a second-place finish in the 200m.
Hyde ran 21.40 to win section one of the Men’s open 200m ahead of Americans Grant Williams (21.86) and Ian Braxton (22.88). American 2019 100m World Champion Christian Coleman was the overall winner with a 20.64 effort to win section two ahead of fellow Americans Will London (21.45) and Khallifah Rosser (21.70).
The 25-year-old Hyde is looking to replicate an excellent 2022 season which saw him win 400m hurdles silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Hyde also got to the final of the event at the World Championships in Eugene, finishing sixth in a personal best 48.03.
Elsewhere, Jamaican Arkansas senior Carey McLeod jumped 8.09m for second in the long jump behind Florida State junior Jeremiah Davis’s personal best and meet record 8.21m. LSU senior Brandon Hicklin was third with 7.97m.
The LSU sophomore, who ran 22.31 on Thursday to secure her spot in the 200m final, came back a day later to run 11.09 to be the joint-fastest qualifier for Saturday’s final alongside collegiate leader Jacious Sears of Tennessee.
Bahamian Florida junior Wanya McCoy and Jamaican Georgia freshman Jehlani Gordon advanced to the men’s 100m final as the second and ninth fastest qualifiers with 10.09 and 10.17, respectively.
The women’s 400m prelims saw Arkansas senior Nickisha Pryce become the eighth-fastest Jamaican ever in the event.
Pryce, who is Jamaica’s reigning national champion, ran a personal best and collegiate leading 49.72 to advance to the final as the fastest qualifier ahead of teammate Kaylyn Brown who ran 49.86.
LSU sophomore Jahiem Stern produced 13.45 to advance to the final of the 110m hurdles.
In the field, the Jamaican Arkansas pair of Romaine Beckford and Wayne Pinnock won gold in the high jump and long jump, respectively.
Beckford had a best clearance of 2.22m to win ahead of LSU’s Kuda Chadenga (2.19m) and Ole Miss’s Arvesta Troupe (2.14m).
Pinnock, a sliver medalist at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, jumped 8.09m to successfully defend his SEC title.
Georgia’s Micah Larry produced 7.80m for second while Florida’s Caleb Foster was third with the same distance.
The former South Plains College and University of South Florida standout was locked in a tense battle with teammate Kason O’Riley before eventually winning the event with a 2.19m clearance on a short, four-step approach.
Beckford trailed teammate Kason O’Riley when both cleared 2.16m, as O’Riley navigated the previous height of 2.11m on a first attempt while Beckford needed three tries before clearing.
A third attempt clearance at 2.19m earned Beckford the victory as three missed attempts at 2.22m followed.
Beckford then saluted the encouraging crowd of 1,418 with his signature backflip on the high jump mat.
Following the 1-2 Arkansas finish in the high jump, Razorback Tomas Ferrari placed fifth with a 6-7 (2.01) clearance.
Beckford won last year’s NCAA Outdoor title with a 2.27m clearance while competing for USF.
He then won the National title with 2.23m and the NACAC U-23 title with 2.21m.
The 21-year-old also competed at the World Championships in Budapest, finishing 11th in his qualifying group with a best clearance of 2.22m.
Running into a stiff headwind of -2.5m/s, 31-year-old Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, clocked 13.47 to follow up on his victory at Velocity Fest 11 at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday, April 23. Then he ran a fast 13.20, a time that was the world lead for a few hours before the USA’s Devon Allen ran 13.12 in Annapolis.
On Saturday, Parchment who had his first injury-free season in a number of years proved unbeatable in his first race in Des Moines since 2016, holding off the challenge of Jamal Britt, who clocked 13.53 for second place and Barbadian Shane Braithwaite, who was third in 13.69.
In the long jump, the USA’s Kenturah Orji jumped 6.69m to defeat her friend and former roommate Chanice Porter of Jamaica. Porter unleashed a jump of 6.59m to take silver by one centimetre ahead of Ese Brume (6.58m).
Former Hydel and Kansas State high jumper Kimberly Williamson cleared 1.85m for third place in the high jump won by Vashti Cunningham, who soared over 1.90m for victory. Rachel McCoy was second by virtue of a cleaner record on the day having also bowed out at 1.85m.
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.
Pinnock, who took long jump silver in Budapest, produced a wind-aided 8.44m (5.8 m/s) to claim victory in his first outdoor competition this season.
The 23-year-old Arkansas star, who won gold at both the SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year, opened his competition with 8.15m in the first round before producing his winning distance in the second.
He had one more jump in the third round (8.25m) before passing on his final three attempts.
Florida State’s Curtis Williams was second with 7.99m while Florida’s Malcolm Clemons was third with 7.94m. Another Jamaican, Florida State’s Jordan Turner, produced 7.84m for fourth.
The women’s long jump was won by Bahamian Florida sophomore Anthaya Charlton with a best jump of 6.74m. Arkansas’s Nia Robinson was second with 6.70m while Georgia Tech’s Ameia Wilson was third with 6.56m.
In her fourth 100m hurdles race of the young season, Ackera Nugent, who was fifth in the final in Budapest, produced 12.57 to take victory ahead of Canada’s Mariam Abdul-Rashid (12.69) and LSU’s Leah Phillips (12.71).
Nugent’s season’s best, which currently stands at 12.52, was done in a fourth-place finish at the Tom Jones Invitational on April 13.
Arkansas also prevailed in the men’s high jump through another member of Jamaica’s team at last year’s World Championships, Romaine Beckford.
Beckford, the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor and Jamaican national champion, had a best jump of 2.23m to win ahead of Georgia’s Riyon Rankin (2.20m) and his Arkansas teammate Kason O’Riley (2.20m).
Guyana’s Natricia Hooper produced 13.92m to win the women’s triple jump ahead of Mylana Hearn (13.78m) and LSU’s Morgan Smalls (13.17m).
Arkansas’s Apalos Edwards jumped 16.43m for second in the men’s equivalent won by Air Houston’s Chris Carter (16.70m). Florida State’s Kyvon Tatham jumped 16.00m for third.
The women’s 400m saw Vincentian 800m record holder Shafiqua Maloney and reigning Jamaican national champion and Arkansas star Nickisha Pryce run 51.29 and 51.35 for second and third, respectively, behind American Alexis Holmes who ran 50.80 to win.
Jamaica’s Lashanna Graham ran 58.16 for third in the women’s 400m hurdles behind American Anna Cockrell (54.74) and Georgia’s Dominique Mustin (56.52).
Florida’s Jevaughn Powell ran 20.28 to take second in the men’s 200m behind Arkansas’s Makanakaishe Charamba who won in 20.11. Arkansas’s Lance Lang ran 20.36 in third.
Powell also represented Jamaica in Budapest, running in the heats of the 4x400m relay.
With the Olympic standard for the high jump being 2.33m and the quota set at 32 for the event, Beckford’s 2.27m has him ranked 32nd in the world.
Beckford's season has been noteworthy, marked by a standout performance in June when he cleared 2.27m to win the NCAA National Division 1 title. In May, he also won the SEC title for the University of Arkansas with a 2.22m jump. However, at the Jamaican national championships, things did not go as planned. He finished behind newly crowned champion Lushane Wilson (2.25m), Christoff Bryan (2.25m), and Raymond Richard (2.20m), managing only to clear 2.20m.
Reflecting on his performance, Beckford said, "Everything felt good until the 2.25m bar. I prayed before the competition. I cannot complain. I pretty much had, I wouldn’t say a perfect season but a great season before coming to this meet. I can't doubt myself, I can't beat myself up. I wanted to defend my title or jump better than what I did. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, but I can't stay on this. I have to move forward and, hopefully, Jamaica will take me to the Olympics."
With Jamaica expected to name more than 60 athletes for the Paris Olympics, Beckford is keeping his fingers crossed. Despite his national championship setback, his season-best 2.27m places him right on the bubble in the World Athletics global rankings, making him a candidate for Olympic selection.
Beckford attributes some of his recent struggles to technical issues in his approach. "The approach is the main thing that we need to work on, and that was one of the factors that was giving me problems at 2.25m because the bounce and strength and everything was there; it’s just a little technical issue," he explained.
However, Beckford remains optimistic even if he is more than a bit nervous. "But it's nothing to worry about, Jermaine Beckford will always find a way, and it’s just for me to go back to the drawing board, remain focused and stay calm," he said confidently.
