400m hurdles the top Jamaica event at Junior College Champs
A ONE-TWO-THREE finish for Jamaicans in the 400 metres hurdles was the highlight of the recently concluded United States Junior College Track and Field Championships, contested on the grounds of Hutchinson College, Kansas, last week.
Former St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) star Okeen Williams won the event and was one of seven Jamaican champions at the meet. Williams gave the gold medal to South Plains Junior College in 51.45 seconds.
Fellow Jamaicans Rayan Holmes, the winner of the schoolboy event for Edwin Allen High at the 2016 Penn Relays, and Robin Black followed Williams across the line. They represented South Plains and Western Texas College, respectively, and clocked times of 52.49 and 52.70.
The long-standing STETHS hurdles tradition was upheld in the women’s event as Kimiesha Chambers, now of Western Texas, clocked 60.93 seconds to beat her competition.
The other Jamaican wins came from Sanjae Lawrence, Nyoka Clunis, Anatascia Forrester, Latavia Coombs, and Ayesha Champagnie.
CHAMPAGNIE’S DOMINANCE
Champagnie continued her dominance in the junior college multi-events with a score of 5,227 points as the former STATHS star won the heptathlon for Barton County Community College.
Lawrence, formerly of Petersfield High, gave Barton another win with a top shot put throw of 17.94 metres.
Clunis, Forrester and Coombs took charge in the discus (50.86 metres), long jump (6.05 metres), and triple jump (13.03 metres). They attended Excelsior High School, Manchester High School and Holmwood Technical High School, respectively, when they were in Jamaica.