A number of Jamaicans made winning starts as the 2021-22 indoor track and field season got underway in the USA over the past weekend.

Daszay Freeman set an early season world-leading time in the 60m hurdles at Wooo Pig Classic at Randal Tyson Indoor Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas, while college athletes Lamara Distin of Texas A&M and Kobe Jordan Rhooms of Morgan State both registered college-leading marks in the women’s high jump and men’s triple jump, respectively.

Freeman, who was fourth in this meet when it was held in January this year, got the victory in 8.14 seconds, the best in the world so far, beating Venezuela’s Yoveinny Mota who clocked 8.15 seconds just off her national record 8.14 seconds.

Distin cleared a personal best and Texas A&M number two all-time 1.86m to win the women’s high jump at the same meet, and the best in the NCAA Division One so far.

Former Excelsior High thrower Joelle Stewart of Arkansas Nine Bluff was third in the women’s weight throw with 13.85m.

Rhooms, the former Cornwall College jumper, set a big personal best and Morgan State University record with 15.91m to win the men’s triple jump at the Navy Invitational I in Annapolis, Maryland.

It beat his previous best of 15.64m set while winning the MEAC indoors championships in February 2020 and also established a new Wesley Brown Field House Record.

He was also second in the high jump, clearing 2.03m as former Calabar High thrower Zackery Dillon won the shot put with 16.39m in his first college competition.

Marie Forbes was also a winner in her first outing for Clemson University as she took the women’s weight throw at the Clemson Opener while former Immaculate Conception athlete Daniel Sloley was 11th with 13.14m.

Kyle Mitchell won the shot put at the Liberty Kickoff Meet, throwing 18.56m.

Former Cornwall College sprinter Mikhail Watson of Chicago State had two personal bests, 7.14 seconds in the 60m final and 23.74 seconds in the 200m at the Windy City Classic in Chicago.

— Paul Reid