THERE WAS HIGH DRAMA on Day Two of the JAAA Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, as several top athletes did not make the final cut, and a Jamaican Junior record was broken by Edwin Allen High’s Ristananna Tracy in the Women's 400 metres hurdles.  It seemed as if most of the fans came out to witness the men's 100 metres where six of the world’s sub 10 seconds men had booked their places in the semi-finals.  The drama started in semi-final one as defending champion, Oshane Bailey and Commonwealth Games champion Lerone Clarke failed to advance to the final.  Bailey’s 10.21 seconds could only get him sixth place, while Clarke was seventh in 10.24 seconds - their dreams of making it to the Daegu World Championships was over. 

In the first final of the night, the women's 400 metres hurdles, there was a large cheer from the crowd for Tracy, at the start of the event, when her named was called by the announcer. Tracy was coming into the National Championships after a wonderful final year at Edwin Allen where she dominated the track and set personal bests in the 400 metres, 400 metres hurdles and 800 metres.  Tracy was facing her sternest test to date as she lined up against a quality field in the event.  Drawn in lane six, with most of the top ladies in the event behind her, Tracy whose personal best was 55.81 seconds, went out quite fast giving 2010  Diamond League winner Kaliese Spencer  a run  for her money.  Tracy came into the straight away in  a close second  behind her new training partner Spencer,  maintaining her form well to finish second in 54.58 seconds.  Spencer took the 2011 National Title in 54.15 seconds and the experienced Nickeisha Wilson had to settle for third in 55.95 seconds.  The time recorded by 19 year old Tracy surpassed the World Championships Qualifying "A" standard of 55.40 seconds and it was also  the second fastest time ever by a junior as only China's Sing Wang the Junior world record holder with 54.40 seconds done in 2005 has gone faster.  Tracy aslo eclipsed Kaliese Spencer's National junior record of 55.12 seconds done at the World Junior Championships in Beijing in 2006.

Following the women's 400 metres hurdles, it was time for the men's final and here the drama continued. In what can be described as the changing of the guard, Leford Green - the former Kingston College star who came into the Championships with a personal best of 50 seconds - upstaged the field to record an impressive 49.19 seconds to win and book his space on the Daegu Team.  Josef Robertson finished second in 49.64 seconds while Lincoln University NCAA Division Two champion, Roxroy Cato, ran on strongly for third in 49.66 seconds. Here there were several casualties, led by veteran Danny McFarlane who could only manage fourth in 49.77 seconds as well as Isa Phillips, Adrian Findlay and Markino Buckley who were fifth, sixth and seventh respectively. 

In the Women's 100 metres, crowd favourite Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.84) had a win over Kerron Stewart (10.97).  Former Vere Technical sprinter, Jura Levy, showed good form after two outstanding years at South Plain Junior College in Texas and finished third in 11.10 seconds.  The experienced Sherone Simpson was relegated to fourth position and Simone Facey’s 11.37 seconds could only get her eighth place. 

With the big hype surrounding the feature event of the night, the men's 100 metres, there was complete silence in the stands as the thousands of spectators present were expecting something special.  With all the talk that all finalists could go under 10 seconds, the time at the end of the race was to show otherwise, as running into a negative wind of 1.8 metres per second the winning time was 10.08 seconds. Most people in the stands could not tell who the winner was and it took a look at the replay and the photo finish to decide the top three.  In the end it was former world record holder in the event, Asafa Powell, who got the nod over Yohan Blake (10.09) and Steve Mullings who was third in 10.10 seconds. Powell did not disappoint his fans, with many claiming that this performance was one of the better races in his career, as he called on his vast experience and exhibited confidence in getting the win.  This after a poor start where he was out of contention at the 50 metres mark but found his best form late to pip a young Blake on the line in what was really a thriller. 

With two days left in the Championships we are in for some more excitement and surprises as surely the changing of the guard is taking place this year as the country's top athletes seek their berths on the 2011 Daegu World Championships Team. Day three will be another thrilling one as the semi-final round of the men's and women's 400 metres along with 200 metres are down to take place.

Contributed by Raymond Graham

Photos courtesy of Anthony Foster

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