4 Jamaicans Victorious at NCAA Championships
Brianna Lyston of Louisiana State University (LSU) won the women’s 60m title on Saturday (9th), the final day of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) indoor track and field championships in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She clocked a personal best (pb) and school record 7.03secs.
Lyston defeated Kaila Jackson of the University of Georgia (7.08) and Oregon’s Jadyn Mays (7.12). Her time makes her the fifth fastest Jamaican ever in the indoor 60m. Her time makes her the fifth fastest Jamaican woman in this event behind Merlene Ottey (7.96), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah (both 9.98), and Veronica Campbell-Brown (7.01).
Jamaica’s 2023 World silver medalist Wayne Pinnock of the University of Arkansas won the men’s long jump, his second NCAA indoor long jump title, and the third of his collegiate career, with a leap of 8.40m. Pinnock equaled the Jamaican indoor record of 8.40m set by James Beckford and Pinnock’s college teammate, Carey McLeod.
Rivaldo Marshall of the University of Iowa won the men’s 800m, the first time competing in the event. Marshall led the qualifiers on Friday and ran away from the field to win in 1:46.96 minutes.
The fourth victory came from Romaine Beckford of the University of Arkansas who retained the men’s high jump title with a personal best-equaling and NCAA-leading 2.27m to beat a strong field.
Beckford, who had won the event last year competing for the University of South Florida, became the first Arkansas high jump winner since 1998.
Other Jamaicans had outstanding performances.
National female record holder Lamara Distin of Texas A&M University lost her high jump title to Arkansas’ Rachel Glenn, who equaled Distin’s college record of 2.00m, which erased the meet record of 1.98m. Distin, who cleared 1.97m for second place, defeated Glenn at the South-Eastern Conference (SEC) two weeks before the NCAA Championships.
Nickisha Pryce was another second-place finisher in the 400m with 51.00secs. Roje Stona of the University of Arkansas was also second in throwing a pb and program record 20.48m in the men’s shot put, beating his previous best of 19.94m set in February.
JeVaughn Powell of the University of Florida was fourth in the men’s 400m, running 45.59secs, and Shaemae Uter of Texas Tech was sixth in 45.94. Beckford. Photo by D. Palmer