Lennox Graham

Williams, who had set the previous national record of 12.32 seconds in 2019, finished behind Ackera Nugent, who won the event with a new national record of 12.28 seconds. Janeek Brown, who previously held the record before Williams, finished third in a season’s best 12.61 seconds.

When asked by Sportsmax.TV about her emotions on making the Jamaica Olympic team for the first time, Williams expressed her gratitude and humility.

"To be honest, I don’t feel any different. I am happy, I’m blessed to be on the team this time around. God is an on-time God. It is His will for me to be on the team this time; the other two times it wasn’t His will, so I’m just giving Him thanks, staying in the moment, staying grounded; going back to work and gearing up for Paris."

Williams had aimed for a faster time, and her second-place finish in 12.53 seconds was a bit surprising given her current form and expectations.

"I felt I would have gone 12.3 or low 12.4, so 12.53 was a bit surprising given the shape I am in and how I felt, but again, God’s time and not my time, and the time will come. I am just happy to finish in the top three."

Reflecting on her world title victory in Budapest last year, Williams emphasized that her confidence heading into the Jamaican championships came from her ability to trust her body rather than her previous win.

"I have always been confident; winning last year didn’t affect my confidence for this year. The confidence I get is that I can trust my body; my body is not failing me this year. I have been able to stay injury-free, and that is all the confidence I need."

Williams' coach, Lennox Graham, acknowledged that there were areas needing improvement for Williams to perform at her best in Paris. Despite her solid performance, Graham saw room for technical refinement.

"You know me; I will always say yes because I am always striving to get better. She ran 12.46 there earlier in the season with a lot of load, and so I could see why she would believe; she would be running well in practice and running 12.46 loaded when she came for the Jamaica Athletic Invitational, there is no way we wouldn’t believe she would run faster."

Graham pinpointed specific issues during the race that need to be addressed.

"She didn’t have a technically good race and she picked a good time to do it because usually in Jamaica you have a technically bad race you run fourth or fifth so it was fortunate for us that she was 12.53 and second. Ackera Nugent ran a great race, 12.28, anywhere you go and run 12.2 (you do well), so we are not taking anything away from her, but I believe Ants was in shape to run faster than 12.5 for sure."

 The coach identified the final hurdles as a critical area needing improvement.

"She was not happy with the last three hurdles I was not happy with the last five because that was where it started going wrong. It’s not something that is unfixable, it’s something that can be adjusted. At the end of the day, the athlete has to go out there and race. We can see the progress being made in practice, but then you have to go out there and race."

Graham elaborated on the technical aspects that need correction.

"Over the last five hurdles, she was just running. The hurdles is a rhythm race, it’s not just running, so you just have to embrace that and make the necessary corrections to make sure that she stays in rhythm because she went out of rhythm, totally out of rhythm. But it’s a good problem to have; you’re on the team because we have gone in 2016 and 2020 and not made the team."

Reflecting on past disappointments, Graham emphasized the significance of Williams making the team at age 31.

"2016, we were leading and then ran into a hurdle, jumped over it and out of the race. 2020, we ran hard and was fourth. So we missed it twice and to get it at 31 years old is a blessing. We are holding it with both hands and with both legs wrapped around it. Now we are going to try and show up and make ourselves and Jamaica proud. That is our plan."

Clemson University’s coaching staff is heaping praise on Oneka Wilson after the Jamaican sprint hurdler made history by becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive 60m hurdles titles at the ACC Indoor Championships. Wilson’s latest victory last week Monday solidified her place as one of the most dominant athletes in conference history and showcased her continued growth as a leader within the Clemson track and field program.

As Sportsmax.tv reported last week, the 27-year-old Jamaican, the 2019 Diamond League champion, was a dominant force in Division II athletics during her time as a student of Johnson C Smith University.

Between 2013 and 2014, Williams won nine NCAA titles (eight individual, one relay), 13 CIAA championships (11 individual, two relays), earned 13 All-America honours and was named either USTFCCCA National Women’s Indoor Track or Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year three times.

Williams turned in arguably the greatest two-day performance in NCAA DII history, at the 2013 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado.

In what she described as her crowning moment, Williams scored 30½ points thanks to event titles in the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay, as well as a runner-up finish in the 100 Hurdles. She set current divisional records in the 200 (22.62) and 4×100 relay (44.05), clocked the second-fastest performance in divisional history in the 100H (12.89) and notched the fifth-fastest performance in the 100 (11.24).

“It’s an honour to be inducted in the Division-2 Hall of Fame. If anybody knows me, they know I am really humbled by this accomplishment. I take pride in my collegiate career because I really had a wonderful career. Every accomplishment that I had set out to achieve I pretty much met and surpassed so I am incredibly honoured and it is moving to me to know that I did my best and it is now being recognised,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

Meanwhile, her coach Lennox Graham described the induction as an ‘awesome achievement’ for the athletes whom he has since guided to a world title in 2015 and the bronze medal in Doha in 2019.

“This is her moment of glory. I was blessed to be in the support role for her, mentoring her through those times, some difficult, some not so difficult, but it is pleasing and its an honour to be part of a journey like that,” said Graham who has two other athletes – Shermaine Williams (Danielle’s sister) and Leford Green, in the Division II Hall of Fame.

“It’s just a blessing. I feel like the hard work put in is recognized and I am so happy for her. As she journeys on, she will never forget this day when she was recognised among her peers as a Hall of Famer, something that most of us won’t live to have behind our names. So to be associated with one is just a blessing.”

Clemson University’s women’s track team staged a remarkable comeback on the final day to claim the ACC Conference title, securing 89 points to top the standings ahead of Stanford (65 points) and Louisville (62 points). The victory marked a significant milestone for the program, which had been fighting for relevance after the men’s team was initially discontinued during the pandemic but reinstated months later.

The 2015 World 100m hurdles champion and 2019 bronze medalist is off to a fast start this season, losing just once, a third-place finish in the 60m dash at the Clemson Invitational on February 14.

A week earlier she ran 38.57 to win an indoor 300m at Clemson.

Since then she is 2-0 in finals, winning the 60m hurdles in Karlsruhe, Germany in 7.84 and then just last weekend at the New Balance Grand Prix in New York, Williams ran a new lifetime best of 7.83, the second-fastest time in the world this year.

Only 100m hurdles world-recorder Kendra Harrison with 7.81 has run faster.

She explained to Sportsmax.TV earlier this week that so far this season she has been healthy and happy.

“Last year was a disastrous season and so this year I have had a renewed mindset. I am determined to not have as disastrous a season, I can’t repeat that”, she said from her base in South Carolina.

“Last year I started the season injured, I finished the season injured so I am of the mindset that I have to stay healthy this year. I love competing so I am trying to find the fun in what I am doing once more because I wasn’t having fun last year. So that’s my only desire this year, to stay healthy, to have fun and to compete well.”

This season has been markedly different from 2021 when a raft of injuries hindered her preparation, her ability to compete and played a part in Williams missing out on Jamaica’s Olympic team for the second consecutive cycle. She said it was a difficult time.

 “Last year this time I was injured, I had foot problems, I couldn’t run, I had to take a month off,” she said.

“I was down in the dumps for a lot of last year. I lost my confidence.

“I started doubting myself and my ability because I was injured all the time and I wasn’t as strong and it was affecting a lot of things so (this year) I have taken a different approach to the gym, I have taken a different approach to practice, to recovery and I am doing all the little things that I didn’t pay enough attention to and that has led to improvements in a lot of areas on the track but mostly off the track and definitely in my mindset going into practice and into competition.”

The biggest change, she said, is with her physicality.

“The difference this season is that I am healthy and I am stronger, much, much stronger,” she said. “I changed weight programmes so I am more powerful and strong.”

Armed with greater confidence and greater strength, Williams is approaching the full season with greater optimism. She is looking forward to the World Championships in Oregon in the summer and is not ruling out the Commonwealth Games where she won silver on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018.

“I plan to take it one step at a time. I am definitely targeting trying to go to World Indoors when that is finished we will turn our attention to the outdoor season,” she said. “I am pretty sure World Championships is the main target.”

Regarding the Commonwealth Games, she said, she isn’t sure what Coach Lennox Graham has planned but the Diamond League circuit is also in her plans for the season.

“We are going to try to do as much as we can,” she said.

Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich made the announcement this afternoon saying that the programmes to be discontinued include indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Radakovich said the university will honour the contracts of the coaches through to their full term, which means that the coaches will be paid up until June 2021.

Clemson Athletics will also honour the scholarships of all impacted student-athletes through their undergraduate years at the level of financial aid that they are presently receiving, the statement said.

The NCAA-maximum number of allowable scholarships for men’s track is 12. Clemson’s 12 scholarships are presently split among 26 student-athletes, 15 of whom are scheduled to graduate by August 2021.

Clemson also supports an additional 25 walk-on student-athletes in the program.

“This difficult decision is a result of an exhaustive examination of our athletics department over the past several  months,” said Radakovich. “After careful analysis, we concluded that discontinuing our men’s track and field  program is in the best long-term interest of Clemson Athletics. This decision impacts incredible student-athletes,  and we know how hard they work and the effort and pride they take in representing Clemson University.”

Head Coach Mark Elliott’s phone went unanswered when Sportsmax.TV called today. He took the Clemson head coaching position in 2013 after spending 12 years as an assistant coach at Louisiana State University.

Notably, Jamaican Olympian and 800m national record holder, Natoya Goule, who won an NCAA title under Elliott’s watch, followed him to Clemson that year.

Assistant Coach Lennox Graham (hurdles and long sprints) joined the coaching staff in 2017 after spending a decade at Johnson C Smith University where he enjoyed tremendous success guiding 27 athletes to NCAA Division II championships titles, both indoors and outdoors.

In a brief comment to Sportsmax.TV, he said he just heard the news prior to being called and that he was still processing it.

Graham’s professional club, TRS, currently trains at Clemson. Danielle Williams, the 2015 World 100m champion, Kyron McMaster, the Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion and World Championship 400m hurdles finalist Leah Nugent are all members of the club.

Men’s track and field has been sponsored at Clemson since 1953, claiming 23 combined ACC Team Championships, 16 individual NCAA champions, 22 Olympians and four Olympic Gold Medalists.

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.

Jamaican sprint hurdler Oneka Wilson is taking her historic feat at the ACC Championships in stride after becoming the first athlete in conference history to win three consecutive titles in the 60m hurdles. The Clemson University junior, speaking with Sportsmax.TV, acknowledged the magnitude of her achievement but remains focused on further improvements ahead of the NCAA Nationals and beyond.

Danielle Williams, who has had a stellar career in track and field, expressed her deep appreciation for the prestigious honor. She noted that being inducted into the Hall of Fame was a major accomplishment and a recognition of her remarkable achievements during her college years at JCSU.

Those achievements were encapsulated in her legendary seasons in 2013 and 2014 when she won nine NCAA titles (eight individual, one relay), 13 CIAA championships (11 individual, two relay), earned 13 All-America honors and was named either USTFCCCA National Women’s Indoor Track or Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year three times.

She turned in arguably the greatest two-day performance in NCAA DII history at the 2013 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado, where she helped lead the Golden Bulls to their second consecutive runner-up finish in the team standings.

The future world champion scored 30½ points thanks to event titles in the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay, as well as a runner-up finish in the 100m hurdles. She also set divisional records in the 200m (22.62) and 4×100 relay (44.05), clocked the second fastest performance in divisional history in the 100mh(12.89) and notched the fifth fastest performance in the 100 (11.24).

In a four-year span, she was the third athlete from Johnson C. Smith inducted into the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame following in the footsteps of Leford Green (Class of 2017) and her sister Shermaine Williams (Class of 2018).

"Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a prestigious honor. I never thought it a big deal when they told me in May, but being there last night (Friday), amongst the other inductees, I realized that it is indeed a big deal and a major accomplishment. Only 130 people in the entire history of JCSU have been inducted, and I am the youngest ever inductee, and that in itself is spectacular," said Williams in an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV

The experience was not only humbling but also exciting for Williams, who admitted that she does not often take the time to celebrate her own accomplishments. She shared, "The most memorable moment of the entire weekend was not just seeing people I haven't seen in so many years, but just hearing that so many of these folks watched the race (her gold medal run in Budapest) and have been keeping up with my exploits since I graduated, was magnificent to hear."

Williams won the 100m hurdles at the 2015 World Championships and continued her success by capturing the 2023 World 100m hurdles title in Budapest last month. This victory added an extra layer of significance to the Hall of Fame induction, as her family was present to witness the double celebration.

Williams expressed her gratitude for the support of her sister and coach, saying, "Being there with coach Lennox and Shermaine was a full-circle moment. We all started this journey together, and so to be able to celebrate with them was pure joy. Both of them are instrumental in the athlete I am today. Shermaine because she was the first in our family to transcend to new levels in athletics; making national teams and breaking records, her hard work, discipline, and determination were the catalyst and the inspiration for me when I started to compete. Coach took me from an inexperienced teenager with many flaws to a collegiate champion many times over and world champion. I thank God for both of them on this journey."

Coach Lennox Graham, who has been a pivotal figure in the success of the Williams sisters, speaking exclusively with Sportsmax.TV, also shared his thoughts on being inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside his athletes. He expressed his appreciation for the honor and recognized the significance of going in with both the Williams sisters.

"To be going in with Shermaine Williams and Danielle Williams is particularly satisfying because, I mean, it was our own JCSU Williams sisters. As you know, Shermaine and Danielle were the first female siblings to make the same World Championship final in 2015 in Beijing, when Danielle won the World Championships in the 100m hurdles and Shermaine was seventh. So those are things that it's impossible to forget," said Graham who won four national titles with JSCU and a number of Central Inter-Collegiate Athletics Association conference titles during his tenure.

Graham had an immediate impact on JCSU after being appointed head coach of the men’s and women’s programme in 2007.

He racked up an impressive resume that included being named 2015-16 Atlantic Region Women’s Track and Field Head Coach of the Year, 2015-16 CIAA Outdoor Women’s Track and Field Head Coach of the Year and 2013-2014 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

He was also honoured as the 2013-2014 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, 2012-2013 USTFCCCA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Coach of the Year (a First in JCSU history), 2012-2013 USTFCCCA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year (Atlantic Region), 2012-2013 USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year (Atlantic Region), 2012-2013 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, 2012-2013 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, 2011-2012 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, 2010-2011 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, 2009-2010 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year,  and 2008-2009 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

He emphasized the importance of treasuring such moments and reflecting on one's accomplishments, saying, "Back in the day, then I wasn't one to celebrate a lot, I was always on to the next, but I've grown a little bit older and realized that you must treasure these moments a little bit more. So it means more to me now than it did then. But it's great, it's a great feeling. It's an awesome achievement and recognition, and I just give thanks for it."