The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE National Collegiate Athletic Association Outdoor Championships will bring the curtain down on a competitive collegiate track and field season with a number of Bahamians in the spotlight.

The NCAA Division One Championships will be staged in Eugene, Oregon, from today through Saturday with the top competitors who advanced from the west and east regional finals two weeks ago colliding to determine the national champions. Today, the competition for the men will begin with The Bahamas having a pair of competitors contesting the javelin.

Kaden Cartwright, a freshman at Mississippi State, will be the fifth of 12 in the flight one with his seed mark of 68.78m, while national record holder Keyshawn Strachan will be the 10th competitor in flight two with his seed mark of (76.00m). The best nine competitors will make it to the final on Friday.

On Thursday, the women will be showcased with the marquee event for The Bahamas coming in the 400m with three competitors all completing their collegiate eligibility in their senior campaigns. 

Collinique Farrington, representing Texas Tech, will run out of lane nine in the first of three heats of the semifinals. She has a seed time of 51.99 seconds.

Heat two will feature the other two competitors with Javonya Valcourt of Tennessee running in lane six with her seed time of 50.26.

And Quincy Penn competing for Florida in lane eight with her seed time of 50.78.

The top two in each heat, plus the next best three times, will advance to the final on Saturday.

On the field, The Bahamas will have one competitor with Calea Jackson, a junior at Miami (Florida) competing as the 11th of 12 in the last of the two flights of the women's discus.

The best nine competitors after the tie breaking will advance to the final on Saturday as well.