Photo: Marleena Eubanks
National junior middle distance champion and Edwin Allen stand out Marleena Eubanks have now landed on the soils of the United States of America to take up a two year track scholarship at the Arizona Central University.
Whenever you mention her name, you speak about a fierce warrior and dynamo, who hates to be beaten any time she hits the track. Off the track she is one of the most pleasant and humble young athletes you will ever meet.
She is one of the exceptionally gifted, junior talents that country has seen. She runs a wide range of events from the 400m to the Reggae Marathon and is a force to reckon with in all these disciplines.
Since the dominance of former Manchester High school sensation Natoya Goule on the road race circuit, Eubanks has shown to the world that she is of the same mettle, dominating the Jamaica road racing circuit for her school throughout her tenure at the Sky Blues from Frankfield, which ended in 2014.
She was one of the main ammunition in the Michael Dyke battalion that dominated the 2014 edition of the annual Boys and Girls Athletics championship to land a second title to girls team.
She captured three time gold medals at the event, those in her pet events (800 and 1500), before teaming up with the 1600 relay squad for gold. She was also declared Class One girls champion after racking up 18 points for her team.
She also helped her team to 4x400m relay High School Championship of America title at the Penns Relays, 2014, after coming up one short in the 4x800m relay, where she was run down by the U.S.A.Columbia High school runner Olivia Baker, after having almost a 50 m lead on the final leg.
She currently holds personal bests of 2: 06.21s in the 800 metres, 4 minutes 32.90 seconds in the 1500 metres,5:15:40 in the mile event and 10:29.67 in the 3000m event.
She was a semifinalist in the 800 at the 2011 world youth championship in Lille France and Bronze medalist at 2014 Carifta Games in Bermuda.
Her high school coach Michael Dyke says he has lost a treasure, but is confident she will do well in the next stage of her career as she seeks to make a name for herself at new school in the upcoming NJCAA championships.
She hopes to continue the tradition of Jamaica Junior stars who have shone brightly at Central Arizona. The list includes names such as former Vere Technical thrower, Keneisha Throughsing, retired Olympic and world champion Gregory Haughton and Decathlete Maurice Smith.
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