Smith hunts ‘jumps’ double at NCAA
NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Ackelia Smith will be seeking the ‘jumps’ double today following her win in the women’s long jump final on Thursday night at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 1 Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The University of Texas representative retained her long jump title with a leap of 6.74 metres, getting the better of Claire Bryant of the University of Florida who was second with a season’s best 6.74m and Alyssa Jones of Stanford University who was third with 6.64m. Another Jamaican, Velecia
Williams, representing the University of Nebraska, was seventh with 6.41m.
After finishing second a year ago, Smith will be the overwhelming favourite to also win the triple jump title today where she enters the competition as the top seed with 14.31m. Also in the triple final are Jamaicans Shauntae Foreman of Clemson University with 13.95m and Rhianna Phipps of Nebraska with a best of 13.40ms.
Several other Jamaicans will be in action on today’s final day of competition for women. Nickeisha Pryce will be among a trio of athletes from the University of Arkansas who will contest the 400m final. She won her heat in 49.87 to be the secondfastest qualifier behind teammate Kaylyn Brown with 49.82. The thirdfastest qualifier is Rosey Effiong, also of Arkansas, with 50.42.
After her success in the indoor 60 metres, Brianna Lyston will be gunning for the 100m title. The Louisiana State University sprinter is the second-fastest qualifier going into the 100m final and she won her heat in 10.99 seconds. McKenzie Long of the University of Mississippi is the fastest qualifier. She won her heat in 10.91.
Long will be seeking the sprint double as she is also the fastest qualifier for the 200m final after clocking a personal best and world lead of 21.95 in the semi-finals. Lyston failed to advance to the 200m final after finishing fifth in her heat in 22.76. Jamaica’s Niesha Burgher of the University of Texas, El Paso just missed out on a final spot after finishing fourth in her heat in 22.73.
Gabrielle Matthews of the University of Mississippi will be the other Jamaican in individual action on the track today. She will contest the final of the women’s 400m hurdles after finishing second in her heat in 56.19. She is the seventhfastest qualifier.