The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was another record-breaking performance for Charisma Taylor at Washington State University as she led a field of Bahamian track and field athletes competing in various meets in the United States over the weekend.

At West Coast, Taylor established a WSU outdoor record in the triple jump with a mark of 44-feet 2 3/4 inches or 13.48 metres.Her impressive jump, which came on her first attempt, also set the meet and stadium record at the West Coast Relays aswell.

“I felt really good about my performance,” Taylor told The Tribune. “It was good to get some good weather and to run fast.

“I came into this week really focusing on what I had to do, really being focused and running fast, not really worrying about the competition.”

In the 100m hurdles, Taylor clocked 13.36 for her victory. She said she ran the time she anticipated, but she was proud of her effort. As for the triple jump, she noted that she expected an outdoor PR and to break both the meet and stadium records and she achieved those goals. “This is my first triple jump competition in a month. I was recovering from a heel injury, so it was good to get back on the triple jump runway and post some good marks,” she stated.

“I jumped the 13.48m on my first jump, so I definitely felt I had more in the tank, so that’s a good thing to know. I know I can go further than that and be the best that I can be.”

She’s now the leader in the Pac-12 Conference and with the championships in two weeks, Taylor will be aiming to put her best foot forward.

“It’s going to be great competition in the triple jump and the hurdles, so I will be focusing on training hard,” she noted. “Two weeks after Pac-12, we have Regionals, so I have to get ready for that.”

Charlton victorious in Kentucky

In Lexington, Kentucky at the Kentucky Invitational at the University of Kentucky Track and Field Complex, Devynne Charlton picked up a victory in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Representing Puma on the professional circuit, Charlton out-lasted the lineup over the 10 flights of hurdles with her time of 12.93. She also had the fastest qualifying time of 12.91 in the preliminaries.

Megan Moss, in her sophomore year for Kentucky, was third in 400m in a PR of 52.41. Winner was Maggie Barrie, unattached, in 51.83. Natasha Robinson, also unattached, was second in 52.19.

Moss also anchored their women’s 4x100m relay team of Shadajah Ballard, Dajour Miles and Faith Ross to victory in 45.15 seconds.

And in the 4x400m relay, Moss was on the second leg of the team that consisted of Ross, Masai Russell and Miles as they also won in 3:32.31 for the No. 12 time in school history.

Gibson shines for Oral Roberts

In Lawrence, Kansas at the Rock Chalk Classic at the University of Kansas, Gabrielle Gibson took the spotlight as she sprinted her way to two finishes in the top 10 in events spanning 100m on the track in a time of 11.67 for ninth place.

Gibson placed in the top seven over the 10 flights of the 100m hurdles for the fifth time in five meets during the outdoor season as she shattered her career best by running 13.41.

Gibson also joined Bahamians Lakelle Kinteh and Indea Cartwright, along with Victoria Neville as the Golden Eagles women’s 4 x 100m relay team finished fourth in 47.15.

The Golden Eagles will head to Vermillion, South Dakota for the 2021 Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships presented by the U.S Air Force Special Warfare May 13-15.

Colebrook second in Ohio

At the 2021 Jesse Owens Track Classic at the Jesse Owens Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, Purdue University’s senior Samson Colebrook led the way for a couple of Bahamians with a photo finish for second place in the men’s 200 in 20.73, the same time as Eric Harrison, a senior at Ohio State, who was declared the winner.

Adrian Curry, a junior at Ohio State, was third in his heat for 12th overall in 21.88.

Curry also contested the 100m, coming in eighth in 10.94 after he ran 10.67 for second in his heat and the fourth fastest qualifying time. Harrison was the fastest of the preliminaries in 10.22m, duplicating the time to take the title in the final.

And in the 4 x 100m relay, Curry ran the third leg for Ohio State as their team of Kainnan Ramsey, Harrison and Donnie James won in 39.56.

Curry started for Purdue’s team of Malcolm Dotson, Justin Becker and Marcellus Moore got second in 39.83.

Devine Parker, a junior at Ohio State, won her heat of the women’s 200m but finished ninth overall in 24.40.

Parker also led off the Buckeyes women’s 4 x 100m relay team of Anavia Battle, Nya Bussey and Yanique Dayle, who won in 44.81.

Vinajah Adderley, a freshman at Purdue, was seventh in the women’s triple jump with her best leap of 38-09.75 (11.83m) on her third attempt. The winning jump was 41-07 (12.67m) by Breana Gambrell, a sophomore at Penn State.

Bethel in Texas

At the Texas Invitational at the Mike Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, University of Houston’s senior Brianne Bethel posted a second place finish in her heat of the women’s 100m in 11.62 for seventh place. American Jenna Prandini, representing Puma, won in 11.16.

Bethel also popped off for Houston women’s 4 x 400m relay team of Aliyah Taylor, Payge Side and Cecilia Tamayo-Garza as they ended up second in 3:39.01. Oklahoma State won in 3:34.42.

Mathieu and Colebrook

lead in Clermont

With the elite athletes not given the opportunity to compete in the World Athletics’ Relays this weekend in Poland, quarter-miler Michael Mathieu and Andre Colebrook led the way for a number of competitors at the Pure Athletics Sprint Meet in Clermont, Florida.

At the meet yesterday, Mathieu, competing unattached, clocked 46.80 to win the one-lap race. He was followed by Nathon Allen of Puma MP International in 46.85.

Colebrook, a member of Pure MVP International, took the men’s 400m hurdles in 52.92. Luis Pabon, unattached, was a distant second in 55.76.

And in the 100m, Warren Fraser and Teray Smith went head-to-head in their final segment of the straight away race.

Fraser, competing unattached, was sixth in 10.38 for 13th overall. Smith, representing Puma MVP International, trailed in seventh in 10.39 for 14th overall.

Cejhae Green of Puma MVP International took the victory in a photo finish with Jamaican Yohan Blake of Adidas after they both were timed in 10.02. Fraser ran the 14th best time of 10.27 in the preliminaries, while Smith posted the 16th in 10.38.