THE four days JAAA Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships to select Jamaica's team to the Daegu World Championships came to an intriguing end on Sunday as there were some spectacular performances which included a few upsets  in what could be considered one of the best National Championships for years.  Undoubtedly the stars on the final day of competition were Veronica Campbell-Brown, Novlene Williams Mills and Steve Mullings who gave the crowd much to talk about as they were at their very best. 

Following her 100 metres victory on Friday, two time 200 metres Olympic Champion Campbell-Brown, was in a no nonsense mood as she became the second double winner of the Championships.   She ran a well executed race in the final of the women's 200 metres speeding to a commanding victory over her rivals and stopping the clock at  a season’s best 22.44 seconds.  It was a very interesting contest over the two remaining spots as Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson and Aileen Bailey were all involved in a battle royal with Stewart taking second in 22.63 seconds and Simpson making up for her disappointing fourth place finish in the 100 metres to edge out Bailey for third in 22.73 seconds.  Bailey was fourth in 22.79 seconds. The top three all ran season bests. 

In the men’s 200 metres, Mullings, who was determined to make up for his third place finish in the men’s 100 metres, had a superb performance.  Favoured to win, Mullings got a flying start leaving the field for ‘dead’ and although he slowed down near to the finish line he was still able to clock a season’s best of 20.11 seconds for the win.  His training partner Nickel Ashmeade finished second in 20.32 seconds while Racers Track Club’s Mario Forsythe clocked 20.36 seconds to hold off his fast finishing training partner Marvin Anderson who finished just behind him for fourth in 20.37 seconds. 

The quality field in the women’s 400 metres lived up to expectation and was a cracker.  Only seven competitors turned up at the start line, as 400 metres hurdles champion, Kaliese Spencer who qualified with the fastest time from the semi-finals, failed to show. In the end it was the defending champion, Novlene Williams-Mills, who showed her class as she held off a determined Rosemarie Whyte to score her third consecutive victory at the National Championships in a season’s best and world number two time of 50.05 seconds to secure the win.   Whyte was second in 50.40 seconds while Shericka Williams grabbed a World Championships spot with a third place finish of 50.81 seconds, just getting the better of a determined Davita Prendagast who was fourth in 50.86 seconds. The top three also ran season’s bests. 

After showing good promise since his high school days at St. Jago High School, Riker Hylton, now a junior at the Louisiana State University (LSU), finally came through with a huge performance. Coming into the National Championships as the third ranked athlete in the event, Hylton pulled away from the tight bunch coming into the straightaway to win his first national senior title and clocked a season’s best of 45.30 seconds. It was also season’s bests for runners-up, Leford Green, the 400 metres hurdles champion and Lansford Spence.  Spence was third and clocked the same 45.46 seconds as Green. Pre-race favourite Jermaine Gonzales, who was reportedly ill after his semi-final on the previous day, was fourth in 45.59 seconds. 

There were upsets in both sprint hurdles events and on the field in the Women's high jump. Defending 100 metres hurdles World Champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton, who earlier in the day was second in her heat, failed to show up for the final. Nevertheless, former Vere Technical athlete Indira Spence got the better of the other veterans in the field to score the win.  Spence, who just completed her studies at NCAA Division II Adam State University, got the better of Vonette Dixon and Delloreen Ennis in winning with a time of 13.08 seconds.  Dixon finished second in 13.12 seconds just ahead of third place finisher, Ennis London who clocked 13.13 seconds.

Immediately following the women’s hurdles the surprises continued in the men's 110 metres hurdles as it was one-two for former Calabar High athletes Andrew Riley and Dwight Thomas.  Riley, who was second in the event at the recent NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships for the University of Illinois pulled off a surprising victory over 2009 World Championships finalist and National record holder, Dwight Thomas. Thomas who was the big favourite to win was left back in his blocks as he had a very poor start and although he did his best to come back he could not, allowing Riley to capture his first national senior title.  Riley’s winning time was 13.36 seconds while Thomas finished second in 13.38 seconds and Richard Phillips finished third in 13.40 seconds. 

Inspired by her former teammate Ristananna Tracy’s performance in the 400 metres hurdles on Friday, Edwin Allen High’s Kimberly Williamson had a big victory in the women's high jump. Williamson, the national junior record holder in the event, surprised the national senior record holder, Sheree Francis of MVP Track Club in winning the event, after clearing a height of 1.83 metres.  Francis had to settle for the runner's up spot only clearing 1.80 metres. 

Former St. Jago High athlete Sashakaye Matthias captured the women's triple jump with a leap of 13.10 metres.  Melissa Ogbourne was second with 13.08 metres while former Vere Technical jumper Shantel Thompson took the third spot with a leap of 13.00 metres. 

Dorian Scott, with a throw of 19.50 metres captured the men's shot put event while former Kingston College pole vaulter Jabari Ennis made a welcome return to competition to take the win in the pole vault after clearing 5.00 metres.

 

 

Contributed by Raymond Graham

 

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