Young Guns Goule and McLeod star on Day Three at Senior Trials

Photo: Omar McLeod runs a personal best and world lead to win the men’s 110m hurdles at the JAaA/Supreme Ventures Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston Jamaica. Second was Hansle Parchment and third Andrew Riley.

A day after the old guard dominated proceedings at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, it was the turn for the young guns, Natoya Goule of Clemson University in the Women’s 800m and Omar McLeod of the University of Arkansas in the Men’s 110m hurdles, to set personal bests on the way to securing their spots to the World Championships in Beijing, China.

An interesting evening session on day three, began with Clayton Brown of Jamaica College eclipsing the more fancied Kristoff Bryan of Kansas State in the Men’s High Jump. The schoolboy won on count back after both athletes failed to go beyond 2.15m. Third was Darell Garwood who failed at 2.10m and jumped unattached.

The Women’s Shot Put went to Danielle Thomas of Kent State University who beat her nearest rival by more than 2 meters when she threw 16.98m for first place. Thomas also won the Women’s Discus on day two. Second went to UTech’s Genneva Greaves 14.32m, while Sireta Roache, throwing unattached finished third with 14.25m.
Damar Forbes claimed yet another long jump title when he leapt to 7.98m, turning back the challenge of Jamal Fuller of Eagles Track Club (7.73m) and Denroc Dixon of GC Foster College (7.71m).

The “Big Three” did not disappoint in the Men’s Discus as they grabbed the top positions while throwing over 60m. Chad “Gohard” Wright of Nebraska University finished third with a best of 61.42m, while the early leader and current world best, Jason “Dadz” Morgan, had to settle for second place with a best of 61.89m on the night. University of the West Indies student, Fedrick “Banjay” Dacres put together a brilliant final series of throws, all going over 60m, to snatch first place with a maximum of 63.32m.

With the fans anticipation high, the athletes provided some scintillating performances on the track to excite a packed grandstand.

Goule, who is used to running against the clock when she is in Jamaica, did not have it all her own way as she was pushed to the limit in the two lap event by UTech’s Simoya Campbell. Campbell ran the race on the shoulders of Goule and attempted to pass her just after completing the first 400m, but Goule responded as both athletes raced along the backstretch. The champion managed to create a little daylight as they turned for home but still had to run hard as Campbell never let up an inch as they raced for the line.

Both women broke the 2 minute barrier to record personal bests with Goule winning in a time of 1:59.63 and Campbell second in 1:59.92. Kimarra McDonald of Juventus Track Club was third in 2:02:08s.

The Men’s equivalent also had an exciting finish as Ricardo Cunningham of MVP (1:47.15) had to pull out all the stops to turn back the challenge of Jowayne Hibbert (1:47.50) of the UWI. Third place went to Adrian Tulloch of UTech who crossed the line in 1:49.52.

One of the most highly anticipated races of the 4 day event was the Men’s 110m hurdles final and it too lived up to expectations. The semi-finals provided the proper precursor to a great final that saw two former Kingston College athletes, Omar McLeod and Hansle Parchment, also a former national champion, diving for the tape. In the end it was McLeod, who recorded his first legal sub-13 clocking with 12.97s, grabbing the honours ahead of Parchment who had to settle for second in 13.08s which was a season’s best for the Olympic medalist. Third place went to last year’s national champion Andrew Riley in a time of 13.35s. McLeod’s time was also a world lead.

Top qualifiers through to the women’s 400m finals are Christine Day, Shericka Jackson, favourite Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Anastasia Le-Roy. The men’s final should be a cracker with the young upstart Javon Francis going up against the battle hardened Edino Steele, Ricardo Chambers and Rusheen McDonald.

The 200m closed the show on day three with the likes of new sprint sensation Elaine Thompson and veterans, Sherone Simpson and Veronica Campbell-Brown advancing to the semifinals in the women’s section. The top male qualifiers include Rasheed Dwyer, Julian Forte, Nickel Ashmeade, Mario Forsythe and Warren Weir.