Grant, a junior at Norfolk State, a former Jamaican U20 100m record holder, clocked 7.20s in a comfortable victory over Virginia’s Halle Hazzard who clocked 7.29. The Grenadian’s teammate Jada Seaman was third in 7.37.
The final was expected to be a closer affair as the two women advanced with the two fastest times – Grant with 7.36 and Hazzard 0.01. However, Grant produced a personal-best performance to put the matter beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, Virginia’s Owayne Owens won the men’s long jump with a personal-best 7.58m, the same distance as North Carolina’s Ja’Von Douglas, who was second on the countback. Chris Alexander, also from North Carolina, was third with a mark of 7.03m.
Also among those delivering outstanding performances was Trishauna Hemmings of Clemson University and Owayne Owens of the University of Virginia.
The 20-year-old junior, who boasts a personal best of 7.20s over 60m, raced to a facility record 7.35 while winning the final at the Gamecock Opener in South Carolina on Saturday.
The former Jamaica national 100m junior record holder, beat back the challenge of Melissa Jefferson of South Carolina (7.49) and Mia D’Ambrosio of North Carolina State (7.70).
Meanwhile, Nugent, who holds the 100m hurdles World U18 record, got her collegiate career off to a winning start when she took gold in the 60m hurdles in 8.22s at the Corky Classic in Texas. Her teammate Kennedy Bailey was second in 8.33 while her compatriot Gabrielle McDonald, a senior at Texas Tech was third in 8.52.
At the Clemson Invitational, Hemmings, a senior at Clemson, ran a personal best 8.18 seconds to win her heat in the 60mh. However, she did not start in the finals.
Owens, who attends the University of Virginia, set a personal best 16.35m while winning the triple jump, at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia.
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 21-year-old former Kingston College star won the silver medal in the long jump with a personal best of 8.25m on Friday night and followed up Saturday with his personal best jump to win the triple jump. His 17.17m, was more than a half-metre better than second-place Christian Edwards of Alabama (16.64m).
Each mark is the third-best in the world this year and McLeod believes things are shaping up nicely for what he believes will be his first Olympic campaign.
“All my preparation is for the upcoming Olympic Games so it’s going to be special as we gear up for trials and the Olympics,” he said. “I’m a lot more technical and I am faster which I need down the runway.”
His improvement at Tennessee has been significant but he credits his time at Kingston College for providing him with the platform from which he now excels.
“Having the right foundation from high school to now has played a huge part in my development over these years and, of course, being a student of the events is key,” he said, still undecided about which event he favours.
“I can’t say which one I prefer because I love both just the same; the triple is just a little more fun than the long jump,” he said.
His world-class performances aside, McLeod said he is encouraged by the number of emerging young Jamaican jumpers.
Fellow Jamaican Ryan Brown, a junior at Arkansas, jumped 8.12 for third at the SECs while Virginia’s Owayne Owens jumped a season-best 16.48m to win the triple jump at the ACC Championships on the weekend.
Adding eight-metre jumpers, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle and Tennessee’s Wayne Pinnock to the mix, McLeod believes Jamaica is poised to do great things in the jumps in the future.
“We all are the younger generation coming up in the sport. We have goals of representing our country, so this is a very good look for the country as we could have multiple people on the podium,” he said.
“I can happily say we are on the rise to taking over in the jumps in the years to come.”
