SIMMONDS DIPS BELOW 13 SECOND BARRIER AT INTERCOL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Photo: Megan Simmonds broke the 13 seconds barrier at the Intercol Track and Field Championships on Wednesday.

Former St Andrews Girls star athlete, Megan Simmonds won the women’s 100m hurdles final at the 2015 NCB, Intercol Track and Field Championships inside the National Stadium on Wednesday, dipping below the 13 seconds barrier for the first time in her career when she clocked 12.91 (-2.0m/s wind) to break the old record.

A lot of people were watching and waiting, since her departure from the high school scene, to see how quickly she would dip below the sub 13 barrier.

The athlete, representing the University of Technology (UTech), has been in good form from early season and put together one of her best races yet to turn back her challengers on her way to a new personal best and victory for her school on day two of the championship.

Simmonds currently trains with the UTech based MVP Track Club, and is currently taking instruction from former MVP athlete and national Sprint hurdles record holder, Bridgette Foster- Hylton.

Foster- Hylton became the first Jamaican to win a World Championship Gold medal in the event when she won the 2009 World Championship title at the age of 37 before retiring in 2012. She has been working with the young hurdler to help in the development of Jamaica’s next generation of sprint hurdlers.

With the victory and time, Simmonds moved to third best in the world for 2015 and number one in Jamaica.

Another outstanding performances at the two day meet came via Sprinter Julian Forte, who won the 200m finals in a new record 20.19 seconds to become the second fastest in the world for 2015.

Forte representing UTech stopped the clock ahead of GC Foster College pair of Colin King 20.87 and Brandon Tomlinson 20.89.

On day one of the championship another pair of UTech athletes were in fine form, female sprinter Elaine Thompson sped to 11.09 seconds (new record) to secure the women’s 100 finals while Andrew Fisher captured the male equivalent in 10.18 seconds.