Forbes, Williams set PB in NCAA Indoor wins
Former Calabar High long jumper Nikaoli Williams of the University of Oklahoma and thrower Marie Forbes of Clemson University, both set personal bests on their way to wins as the NCAA Indoor season resumed on Friday.
There were also wins for former World Under-20 100m hurdles champion Ackera Nugent and Daniel Cope.
Williams won the men’s long jump at the Arkansas Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center with 7.86m, beating the 7.42m he achieved in a meet in Kansas in December and just short of the school record 7.89m.
He had just two legal jumps with his second best 7.58m still good enough to win and also better than his previous best.
Forbes, the former Vere Technical High athlete won the women’s weight throw at her ‘home meet’ Clemson Invite in South Carolina with a mark of 21.15m, beating her previous best of 20.69m set last indoors season.
Forbes’ mark was the second best in Clemson University history and fourth best in the USA so far.
Her teammate Daniel Cope was also a winner, retaining his men’s weight throw title with a mark of 20.89m.
Also at the Arkansas Invitational, Nugent sped to the victory in the women’s 60m hurdles in her first outing for the University of Arkansas after transferring from Baylor, clocking 8.00 seconds.
Former St Jago High and Clemson thrower Roje Stona now at the University of Arkansas, threw 18.02m for third in the men’s shot put- sixth best in Arkansas history.
The event was won by his teammate Jordan West with a meet record 19.79m.
Cobe Graham of Sam Houston State University was third in the men’s shot put at the Hilton Memorial Invitational in Houston, Texas with a best16.78m.
Former Jamaica College athlete Apalos Edwards of Louisiana State University was third in the men’s long jump at the LSU Purple Tiger meet with 7.31m.
Javed Jones, who attended BB Coke High and competing for the University of Louisiana, ran a personal best 1:20.02 seconds for second place in the men’s 600m with Javon-Taye Williams and Agerian Jackson of South-eastern Louisiana placing sixth and 12 th respectively.
Tarees Rhoden was fourth in the men’s 1000m in a new lifetime best 2:24.50 seconds, fourth best all time at Clemson.
Kiara Grant was seventh in the women’s 60m final in a personal best 7.26 seconds- number five on the Clemson all time list and faster than the 7.29 seconds she ran in December.
-Paul Reid