Texas junior Ackelia Smith produced an NCAA leading performance to take top spot on day one of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday.

The 22-year-old reigning NCAA champion produced a season’s best 7.10m, her first jump over 7m this season, to win ahead of Trinidadian Puma athlete Tyra Gittens (6.72m) and UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6.65m).

This is a welcome return to form for Smith who suffered a torn hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.

Smith was Jamaica’s national champion in the long jump in 2022 and was a finalist in both the long and triple jump at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Defending NCAA 100m champion Julien Alfred stormed to victory in the 100m at the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas on Saturday when O’Brien Wasome produced a dominant performance to win the triple jump.

Alfred, the University of Texas senior, who dominated the NCAA Indoor season and was named USTFCCA Indoor Athlete of the Year, has taken her outstanding form outdoors, running 10.95 to win the blue-ribbon dash over Texas teammate Kevona Davis who edged Ashanti Moore by 0.004 to take second. Both women were credited with 11.14.

American Gabby Thomas, the Tokyo Olympics 200m bronze medallist demonstrated her strength in the 400m which she won in a personal best 49.68.

Lynna Irby-Jackson finished second in 50.40 while first-year pro Charokee Young was third in 50.64.

Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles silver medallist Shiann Salmon was fifth in 51.99.

Texas senior Johnathan Jones was third in the 400m clocking 46.50 while finishing behind Texas State’s Dominic Yancy who ran 46.39 and winner Brian Herron of Texas, who crossed the line in 46.14.

Wasome, meanwhile, was winning the triple jump with a jump of 16.80m.

Jeremiah Davies of Florida State University’s 16.01m gave him second while Jemuel Allen of the University of Texas at San Antonio jumped 15.50m for third.

Shiann Salmon and Ackelia Smith won their respective events on Friday’s opening day of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A Myers Stadium in Austin Texas where Ashanti Moore ran a new personal best in the 200m.

Adidas professional Salmon, the 2022 NACAC champion, ran 55.83 to easily take the 400m hurdles over University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) junior Alana Yukich, who finished second in 57.74. Texas Longhorn junior Brooke Jaworski was third in 58.78.

Smith, meanwhile, soared out to a mark of 6.69 to win the long jump. Indiana senior Paola Fernandez-Sola finished second after jumping 6.42m with Samiyah Samuels taking third with a jump of 6.32m.

Gabby Thomas of New Balance won the Women’s 200m in a smart time of 22.21. Texas senior Lanae Thomas and Texas junior Rhasidat Adeleke were second and third in 22.38 and 22.47, respectively. Moore was a close fourth in a personal best 22.49.

Moore’s Adidas camp mates Anavia Battle and Lynna Irby-Jackson, were fifth and sixth respectively in 22.62 and 22.69.

Barbados’ Johnathan Jones finished third in the Men’s 200m in 21.48. UTSA’s Dennis Phillips won the half-lap sprint in 20.82 with his teammate Logan Masters taking the runner-up spot in 21.20.

The meet concludes on Saturday.