Led by outstanding performances by Grenada’s Kirani James, Trinidad & Tobago’s (T&T) Rondel Sorrillo and Bermuda’s Aaron Evans, Caribbean athletes sparkled at the NCAAs in Eugene, Oregon last weekend. James, the University of Alabama freshman, captured the men’s 400m in 45.05 secs. Days before the NCAAs, James expressed his desire to perform well but was not concern about times. The Texas A&M pair of Demetrius Pinder 45.56 (Bahamas) and Tabarie Henry 45.92 (US Virgin Islands) placed 6th and 8th, respectively.
Rondel Sorrillo, the University of Kentucky (Kentucky) senior capped a superb college career by capturing the men’s 200m in 20.36 secs to become Kentucky’s first 200m NCAA champion. Sorrillo also ran 10.09 secs. (2.5 w/s) to get silver in the 100m behind University of Florida’s Jeff Demps (9.96).
The University of Georgia and Bermuda native, Aaron Evans ended a fine season by taking 3rd in the 800m in 1.46.87 secs. Evans had a success campaign which saw him establishing personal best of 1.46.26 secs in the 800m in the East Regional, a new Georgia record, and a new Bermuda 800m record.
University of Texas freshman Keiron Stewart of Jamaica finished 7th in the 110m hurdles (13.97), while University of Nebraska’s Nicholas Gordon (Jamaica) was 7th in the long jump.
T&T’s Pilar McShine of Florida State University (FSU) was 5th in the women’s 1500m in 4.16.72. McShine’s teammate, Jamaica’s Kim Williams, took 4th in the triple jump with a leap of 13.58m (44’ 06.75”) while Jamaica’s Melissa Ogbourne, representing LSU took 5th in 13.56m (43’ 10.00”).
In the 100m, Auburn University’s Sheniqua Ferguson (Bahamas) was 6th in 11.32 secs ahead of UConn’s Trisha-Ann Hawthorne (Jamaica) in 11.39 secs.
In the 110m hurdles, T&T and Penn State senior Aleesha Barber took 3rd in 12.91 secs, while University of Alabama’s Kim Laing (Jamaica) earned All-American status by taking 7th place in 13.20 secs.
The following Caribbean Athletes were named to the NCAA D-1 All-American list:
Men:
Rondel Sorrillo, University of Kentucky, T&T
Kirani James, University of Alabama, Grenada
Demetrius Pinder, Texas A&M University, Bahamas
Tabarie Henry, Texas A&M University, US Virgin Island
Zwede Hewitt, Baylor University, T&T
Aaron Evans, University of Georgia, Bermuda
Dwight Mullings, Mississippi State University, Jamaica
Nicholas Gordon, University of Nebraska, Jamaica
Keiron Stewart, University of Texas, Jamaica
Women:
Kimberley Laing, University of Alabama, Jamaica
Sheniqua Furguson, Auburn University, Bahamas
Nivea Smith, Auburn University, Bahamas
Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, University of Connecticut, Jamaica
Pilar McShine, Florida State University, T&T
Kimberly Williams, Florida State University, Jamaica
Samantha Henry, LSU, Jamaica
Melissa Ogbourne, LSU, Jamaica
Kayann Thompson, LSU, Jamaica
Aleesha Barber, Penn State University, T&T
Chantel Malone, University of Texas, British Virgin Islands