Allen dedicates win to his mother
FOLLOWING HIS outstanding achievement on Sunday’s final day of competition of the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Outdoor Championships on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, the University of Auburn sophomore, Nathon Allen, who won the Men’s 400 metres in a school record 44.28 seconds, has dedicated the win to his mother.
The winning time by Allen, the former St. Jago High standout, was the top NCAA outdoor time for the season and number four in the world so far.
“I came out with the intention of doing the best I could. Today (Sunday) is Mother’s Day, so it was nice to call my mom and tell her I won for her on the day. It was a pretty good feeling. Last year I was second, this year I’m first . It’s all about progression. I hope I can keep running better and stay healthy and hopefully I can do my best when it matters most,” Allen said in an interview, which was posted on his school’s website.
Allen joined The Bahamas’ Avard Moncur, as the only two athletes from Auburn to win the event, and in the process, broke Moncur’s school record of 44.45 seconds set in 2001. It was also a new Tom Black Track record and the second fastest time ever ran at the SEC Championships.
It was also a good meet for Allen’s other teammates, Raheem Chambers and Natalliah Whyte, who produced personal best in their events. Chambers had a second place finish in the Men’s 100 metres in 10.10 seconds to beat his previous best of 10.15 seconds set a day earlier in the semi- finals. His second place finish is the highest second place finish at SEC Outdoors in the event by an Auburn man since 2012.
SECOND BEST AUBURN TIME
Whyte, who like Allen and Chambers, is a former St Jago High athlete, finished fourth in the Women’s 100 metres in 11.04 seconds, behind winner Aleia Hobbs of LSU, who did a world best of 10.92 seconds. Whyte’s time was the second best ever by an Auburn athlete, behind Olympian Kerron Stewart, who had a best of 11.03 seconds.
There was also win at the meet for Jamaican Kemar Mowatt, while it was top three for Clayton and Janeek Brown.
Competing for the University of Arkansas, Mowatt a finalist at the World Championships last year, in the Men’s 400 metres hurdles, was too good for his opponents in the event, as he had an impressive win of 49.32 seconds.
University of Florida’s Clayton Brown had two second place finishes. The former Jamaica College jumper cleared the high jump bar at 2.25 metres, the same as winner, Selby McEwan of the University of Alabama. He then returned a 16.42 metres distance in the triple jump.
Former Wolmer’s Girls’ sprint hurdler, Janeek Brown continued her fine season for the University of Arkansas as a freshman in the 100 metres hurdles. Brown finished third in the event in 12.84 seconds.