Verone Chambers Has Sights on Making Jamaican Olympic Team

by O'Neil A. Reid Jamaica’s Verone Chambers, the 23 year old senior at Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU), is looking forward to having a great season. The Ford Mastin coached Chambers has been dominant in the women’s 400m in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) where she is the defending champion in the one-lap event. Verone is perhaps the most decorated track athlete in OBU history, capping 13 national championships and 19 NAIA All-American mentions. Verone, the Edwin Allen High School (Jamaica) graduate, specializes in the 400m. She has  has a personal best 52.72 seconds in that event  which she established in June 2011. Excited and Driven “I want to improve a whole lot so that I can make the Jamaican Olympic team,” said a very excited Chambers. “I cannot wait for the indoor season to be over so we can go outdoors.” In just a few weeks in the indoor season, Chambers has meet the NAIA qualifying standards in the  bests on the 55m hurdles (8.11 seconds)  hurdles and the 200m (24.78 seconds). However , she will focus on the 60m and the 200m events during the  indoor season. Verone ran the 400m on January 14 and topped a field of 36 runners with a time of 54.33 seconds.   Working Hard to Achieve Dream Chambers is in her final year at OBU and she is determine to defend her NAIA 400m outdoor title.  She first captured the title in her sophmore year, two years again, and has no intention of relinquishng it now.  She has been working harder than ever. Verone also aims to improve her personal best to the 50.0’s in the 400m and feels she has the talent and the ability to do it. “I feel this is the year where I can do it”   In terms of her preparation to realize her Olympics dream, Verone said “I have been doing a lot of strength work so far I have already PR indoors and by the time the outdoor season comes around, I will be ready.”   Coach Mastin said of Chambers, “she is an excellent athlete and she is very humble and she is finally getting some of the national exposure that she deserves.” Coach Mastin also said that Verone along with Jura Levy and Nikita Tracey [two of Verone’s Jamaican teammates] are excellent athletes who don’t mind being pushed.