By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IT was a big weekend for the various indoor track and field conference meets around the United States of America where Bahamians Terrance Jones, Antoine Andrews, Shaun Miller, Wayna McCoy, Anthaya Charlton, and Charisma Taylor were among those in the spotlight.
Big 12
Jones record-breaking performance
Terrance Jones, a sophomore at Texas Tech, took advantage of their surface in the Sports Performance Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in a time of 6.48 seconds to easily win the men’s 60m to erase the meet record of 6.51 that was previously set by Ronnie Baker of TCU in 2016.
In adding his name to the facility record of 6.45 that he established last year, Jones, a native of Grand Bahama, led a clean sweep for Texas Tech in the top four spots with his nearest rival being his team-mate Don’dre Swint, a senior, in 6.57. He had the fastest qualifying time of 6.46.
Two other Bahamians had to settle for second in their respective 60m hurdles finals.
On the men’s side, Antoine Andrews, in his freshman year at Texas Tech, picked up his runner-award award in 7.59 behind junior team-mate Caleb Dean, who won in 7.62. Dean also had the fastest qualifying time of 6.72.
Gabrielle Gibson, a senior at Kansas, finished second in the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.11. The winning time was 8.04 by Demisha Roswell, a senior at Texas Tech, in 8.04. Gibson had the second fastest qualifying time of 8.20 behind Roswell’s leading time of 8.04.
AAC Championships
McCoy wins MVP honour
In Louisville, Texas, freshman Wanya McCoy was named ACC men’s track MVP after he clocked the second-fastest time in Clemson history after he sped to victory in the men’s 400m in 45.91 to erase the facility record of 46.75 that was set by Judson Lincoln of Virginia Tech.
Lincoln, by the way, was fourth in the race in 46.75. DaeQwan Butler, a senior at Florida State, was second behind McCoy in 46.45.
McCoy had to settle for fifth in the 200m in 20.86. Cameron Miller, a junior at Louisville, won the event in a personal best of 20.27 for new records for the meet and facility. McCoy had the fifth fastest qualifying time of 20.95, while Miller cruised with the best time of 20.33.
SEC Championships
Charlton and Taylor clash
In Fayetteville, Arkansas, it was a Bahamian duo competing head-to-head in the women’s long jump with Kentucky’s sophomore Anthaya Charlton posting a third place finish with a lifetime best of 21-51/4 (6.53m) with Tennessee’s senior Charisma Taylor trailing in fourth with 20-101/2 (6.36m).
“This meet was a great one for me,” said Charlton, who moved up to sixth on the NCAA indoor nationals list.
On competing against Taylor, Charlton said it was amazing. “I looked up to Charisma and this was the first time I ever competed against her,” Charlton said. “She kept me motivated and cheered me on as we competed.”
The duo are expected to clash again when they compete in the NCAA National Indoor Championships in two weeks.
Florida’s junior Jasmine Moore established a championship and meet record with a personal best of 20-8 (6.91m) for the win. Taylor ended up with a third place finish in the final of the 60m hurdles in 8.03. Kentucky’s senior Massai Russell won the race in a time of 7.77 for both the meet and championship records. Ackera Nugent, a sophomore at Arkansas, was second in a personal best of 7.81.
In the preliminaries, Taylor had the fourth fastest qualifying time of 8.02 behind Russell’s leading time of 7.90.
Taylor wasn’t done yet as she also contested the women’s triple jump where she placed second with her best of 45-41/4 (13.82m). The winning leap was 46-23/4 (14.09m) by Moore.
“All of my events overlapped so the plan for the long jump and hurdles on Friday was to get a couple warm up approaches in, then get on the line with my hurdles preliminaries,” Taylor said. “Saturday was just as hectic as Friday, but I got to triple jump first before the hurdles final before I had to change gears to hurdles and I had to make the most of it.”
Despite the rush, Taylor got a medal for Tennessee. She thanked God for granting her good health and strength to get through the meet.
World Athletics Indoor
Tour Gold Series Strachan in the mix
Across the waters in Birmingham, England, Anthonique Strachan had to settle for sixth place in the women’s 60m in 7.25.
The race was swept by the Great Britain’s duo of Dana Asher-Smith in 7.05 and Neita Daryll in 7.13.
American Destiny Smith-Barnett was third in n 7.15. Strachan’s Jamaican training partners Shericka Jackson and Tracy Morrison were fourth and fifth in 7.18 and 7.24 respectively.
Big Ten Championships
Miller soars
At the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, Shaun Miller, in his junior year at Ohio State, finished second in the men’s high jump with a leap of 7-1 (2.21m). It was the same height that Nebraska’s senior Mayson Connor used to win the title, pulling it off on fewer knockdowns.
Oscar Smith, a junior at Ohio State, placed fifth in the final of the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.78. The winning time was 7.65 by Darius Luff, a junior at Nebraska.
Smith went into the event with the fifth fastest qualifying time of 7.78 in the preliminaries.
Purdue’s freshman Zachary Evans had a false start in the finals of the men’s 60m after he advanced with the third fastest qualifying time of 6.74.
Ohio State’s senior Adrian Curry was 14th in the preliminaries in 6.88. Evans was also 10th overall in the 200m in 21.31.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.