Former XLCR runner Francis double winner in North Dakota
FORMER Excelsior High runner Demar Francis was a double winner for the University of South Dakota at last weekend’s Summit League Indoor track and field championships held at North Dakota High-performance Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, taking the men’s 200m and 400m titles.
Francis set a school record 21.36 seconds to win the 200m, breaking the previous 21.42 seconds set in 2001 by Ryan Finley and lowering his own indoor personal best from 21.47 seconds set last year.
He was also part of the school’s 4x400m relay team that placed fifth, and ran a personal best 47.44 seconds to win the 400m – the fourth-best ever for the school.
Meanwhile, two other Jamaicans were victorious at the Summit League championships, including Ackeen Colley of Western Illinois who broke the championships record in the men’s 800m while former Buff Bay high jumper Romaine Beckford set a University of South Florida men’s high jump record when he won the event at the American Athletic Conference (AAC) championships held in Birmingham.
Colley, who broke his own school record in the 800m twice this season, lowering his personal best to 1:47.98 minutes, lowered the conference record to 1:48.41 in the preliminaries, breaking the 1:48.61 he set last year.
He then retained his title with 1:48.83 seconds in the final while his teammate and former Rusea’s High and St Elizabeth Technical runner Richard Brown, placed third with 1:50.79.
Former Herbert Morrison Technical high jumper Daniella Anglin of South Dakota won the women’s high jump with a personal best 1.80m, the second-best ever in school history.
Two-time Summit League champion and record holder Brithon Senior of South Dakota was a surprise third in the men’s 60m hurdles, running 8.02 seconds.
World Under 20 Championships representatives Annalee Robinson and Moesha Bridgen, both of South Dakota, were fifth and sixth, respectively in the women’s 200m.
Robinson ran 24.67 seconds and Bridgen clocked 25.02 seconds, while Robinson was also sixth in the women’s 60m final in 7.66 seconds.
Former Herbert Morrison Technical runner Daniel Clarke of South Dakota State was third in the men’s 60m in 6.84 seconds after running a personal best 6.82 seconds in the preliminaries, fifth best all time in school history.
He was also fifth in the men’s long jump with 6.93m.
Beckford equalled his own personal best 2.20m, set a new programme best for South Florida as he won his first NCAA Division 1 conference title, and is tied for 10th in the NCAA.
His teammate Annia Ashley, formerly of Edwin Allen, was fourth in the women’s high jump with a best of 1.71m, while former St Jago athlete Tannekee Strachan of Temple University was fifth in the triple jump with 12.83m.
At the Atlantic Sun Championships held at Liberty University, Jamaicans filled the slots between third and fifth in the men’s shot put.
Courtney Lawrence of Kennesaw State was third with 18.48m, Kyle Mitchell of Liberty University was fourth with 18.32m, and Warren Barrett also of Liberty was fifth with 17.91m.
At the Mid-american Conference at Kent State, defending champion Gabrielle Bailey of Kent State was second in the women’s shot put with 16.61m while former Immaculate Conception thrower Kadian Clarke was seventh with 14.98m after winning the weight throw.