University of Alabama (UAB) and Grenada native Kirani James ran the fastest 400m in the world at the Meyo Invitational Meet in Indiana yesterday, stopping the clock in a brisk 45.47 secs. The Gouyave native in only his second year at UAB has been in fine form recently running 20.58 secs in the 200m two weeks ago. James with a lifetime best 45.03 secs (outdoors) has now qualified for the NCCA Indoor Championship to be held in March 2011 and has positioned himself as one of the early favorites for the 200m and 400m titles.
Grenada’s Collen Felix, a junior at the University of Georgia took second place in the triple jump with a leap of 13.45m (44 -11/2) at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet over the weekend. This is a personal best for the St David’s Catholic Secondary graduate, who now qualifies for the NCAA Indoor Championship.
Natoya Goule, the South Plains College (SPC) freshman, is perhaps the hottest mid-distance College runner so far this indoor season. During the past two weeks, the Manchester High School (Jamaica) graduate has been rewriting the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) record books. Goule broke the 600m (1.18.82) record and established an indoor personal best 2.06.90 in the 800m. Yesterday at the Texas Tech Open Meet, Goule ran 53.27 secs to establish the new NJCAA women 400m (indoor) record. Natoya is scheduled to run the 400, 4x400, 600, 800 and the 1000m this indoor season.
Jura levy, Goule’s teammate at SPC won the 55m in 6.86 and the 200m in 23.39. Levy, the former Vere Tech student is one of the most coveted Junior College female sprinter has her choice of Division 1 schools that are requesting her services. Grenada’s Janelle Redhead, also of SPC finished 2nd behind Levy in the 200m in 23.75 secs.
Texas A& M’s Tabarie Henry (USVI) took the 500m (1.01.28) at the New Balance Collegiate Meet in New York City , and later joined Demetrius Pinder (Bahamas), Tran Howell and Bryan Miller to capture the men’s 4x400m (3.08.99). In the women’s 500m Jamaica’ Andrea Sutherland (Edwin Allen HS) of Texas A&M took the women 500m in 1.12.29. Jamaica’s Keiron Stewart of the University of Texas took the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.68 secs.