Junior hurdlers put the world on notice

WHILE SENIOR athletes got most of the spotlight at last weekend’s JAAA National Junior and Senior Athletics Championships, there were several outstanding performances by the country’s juniors, especially in the hurdle events.

Both the under-18 and under-20 boys’ sprint hurdles produced exceptional times.

In the under-18 110-metre hurdles, St Jago’s Marquies Page was brilliant, winning in 13.03 seconds. In the under-20 110m hurdles, Daniel Clarke of Kingston College stopped the clock at 12.96 seconds.

Page’s winning time now makes him the number-one under-18 sprint hurdler in the world, surpassing previous leader Phenyo Miyen of South Africa, who had clocked 13.06.

Clarke jumped one space to be at the top of the world rankings among under-20 athletes, bettering his previous best of 13.06, set in March at G.C. Foster College, which had left him second.

Clarke’s new personal best means he has now overtaken Cuba’s Kendry Menendez, who had run 12.98.

Jamaica also boasts the world’s number-one ranked under-20 female 100m hurdler in Briana Campbell, who clocked 13.01 seconds.

The former St Jago High athlete, now competing for Life University, however, saw her colours lowered over the weekend by Wolmer’s Girls’ Tiana Marshall. Marshall clocked 13.33 to win the under-20 event, equalling her previous best and remaining unbeaten over the barriers this season. Campbell finished a close second in 13.35.

Lacovia High’s outstanding schoolgirl athlete Sabrina Dockery took the sprint double in the girls’ under-20 category. With her main rival, Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High, competing with the seniors, it was smooth sailing for Dockery.

She first won the 100m in a zippy 11.28 seconds, ahead of Campbell, who finished second in 11.36. She then returned to close her double in the 200m, winning in 23.46, ahead of an improved Samoya Brown of Immaculate Conception High School, who was second in 23.87.

The David Riley-coached Excelsior boys were on fire at the Championships, dominating the sprint events. In the under-18 100m, Malike Nugent romped to victory in a personal-best 10.27 secnds, ahead of teammate Michael Graham (10.31). Jaydon Collins of Holmwood ended third, also in 10.33.

In the under-20 event, Excelsior’s Riquelme Reid took the win in 10.23, ahead of Antonio Powell of Edwin Allen (10.39) and Trey Bennett of St Jago, who finished third in 10.49. The wind reading was just above the allowable limit, at 2.1 metres per second.

Excelsior also had success in the boys’ under-18 400m hurdles, with Jaeden Campbell winning in 52.24, just ahead of Eshanee Porter of Kingston College, who clocked 52.33 for second.

Calabar’s Robert Miller closed out the fine results by hurdlers at the meet, winning the boys’ under-20 400m hurdles in 50.31 — the sixth-fastest time in the event at the world under-20 level. Trevoy Smith of Herbert Morrison Technical was a solid second in 50.63.