Briana Williams, Ackeem Blake to contest 60m at Isaac-Henry meet
NATIONAL SPRINTERS Briana Williams and Ackeem Blake will be in action at today’s staging of the S. W. Isaac-Henry Invitational at the National Stadium.
The annual meet, which is set to start at 8:30 a.m. is sanctioned by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association and will also be used as a qualifier for next month’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships. Isaac-Henry is a past principal of St Andrew Technical High School.
“I am very pleased with the support we have gotten for today’s meet as we have received over 1000 entries from 37 high schools and and 19 clubs,” meet organiser Leroy Cooke told The Gleaner yesterday.
“The support from the various clubs has been tremendous as several top senior representatives will be on show including Williams and Ackeem Blake of Dynamics Track Club who will both be competing in the invitational 60 metres,” Cooke said.
With the March 1-3 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland just two weeks away it is another opportunity for athletes to prepare for the championships. Williams, the third-fastest Jamaican female so far this season in the event with 7.11 seconds, will be joined by Roneisha McGregor of UWI Mona and MVP Track Club sprinters Serena Cole and Janeek Brown.
Blake is number-two in the world in the indoor 60m, following a close second-place finish in 6.45 to American Noah Lyles (6.44) at the New Balance meet in Boston, United States two weeks ago. Joining Blake in the event are Bryan Levell of Uptimum Track Club, Ramone Barnswell of MVP, Tyquendo Tracy of Swept Track Club, Mazhino Barrett of UWI Mona and Legacy Track Club’s Aubrey Allen.
There will also be the 400m Invitational races for males and females. World Athletics Championships 200m bronze medallist Zarnel Hughes of Racers Track Club will open his season here after opting out of the event at the last minute at the Camperdown Classic.
The 1500m open for high school girls will be the first track event on the day and will be followed by the boys’ race. Other track events down to be contested at the meet are 200m, 400m hurdles, all sprint hurdles, 400m, 2000m steeplechase, 4x400m and 4x400 Mixed Relay Open.
In the field, the events are long jump, high jump, triple jump, discus throw, shot put and javelin.