STUNNING SHERICKA
SHERICKA Jackson retained her women’s national 100m title with a world-leading 10.65 seconds and newcomer Rohan Watson stunned the men’s field with 9.91 seconds on Friday’s climactic second day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships, in front of a large and appreciative crowd at the National Stadium.
Both athletes are from the MVP Track and Field Club which accounts for four of the seven athletes who will represent Jamaica at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, next month.
Jackson got off to a brilliant start and destroyed a quality field, breaking her previous best of 10.71 seconds and also replacing American Sha’Carrie Richardson as the new world leader.
Shashalee Forbes ran a new personal best 10.96 seconds for second place while Natasha Morrison was third with 10.98 seconds.
Briana Williams took fourth while Elaine Thompson-Herah was fifth and Ashanti Moore sixth.
In the absence of his teammate Kishane Thompson — who led the first round with 9.91 seconds on Thursday but failed to show up for the semis — Watson ran a brilliant race to lower his previous best of 9.98 seconds run 24 hours earlier, joint 10th-best by a Jamaican man.
Ryiem Forde ran his fourth personal best of the year, clocking 9.96 seconds to take second place, while Oblique Seville was third in 10.00 seconds.
Roshawn Clarke delivered on his promise when he smashed the national junior record and his joint World Under-20 record with 47.85 seconds to win the men’s 400m hurdles, the fourth-fastest time in the world so far this year.
Defending champion Jaheel Hyde, who challenged Clarke late in the race, was second in 48.45 seconds while Assinie Wilson was third in a personal best 48.50 seconds.
The women’s 400m hurdles lived up to expectations with a thrilling blanket finish, with Janieve Russell winning her third-straight national title and fifth overall after she ran 43.75 seconds.
The four-time Commonwealth Games champion was just ahead of Andrenette Knight who ran 53.78 seconds and Rushell Clayton (53.81 seconds), all three running season’s best times.
It was sweet redemption for Knight who led last year before hitting a hurdle and falling, while Commonwealth Games medallist Shiann Salmon was fourth in 53.97 seconds, also her season’s best.
Clayton got off to a fast start and led after the seventh hurdle before the field caught up to her, all three women rushing to the finish line almost side by side.
Jamaica College’s Nichalas Power won the men’s 1500m, running 4:01.81 minutes, ahead of St Jago High’s Corlando Chambers (4:02.52 seconds) while Noel Ellis was third in 4:10.58.