Cato tops collegiate indoor 400m list

BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer

Saturday, December 18, 2010

JAMAICAN Roxroy Cato, 22-year-old freshman of Lincoln University in Missouri, posted a collegiate-leading indoor 400m time of 47.01 seconds at the Iowa State Holiday Preview meet last weekend at the Leid Recreation Center in Ames.

Cato, a past student of Green Island High School before going on to the University of Technology, competes for the Blue Tigers in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Cato, who ran a personal best at the Holiday Preview meet, beat Blue Tiger teammates American Terrel Cotton, 47.94 seconds, and compatriot Steve Banton, a past student of St Elizabeth Technical High, who placed third in 48.06 seconds.

Jamaican Victor 'Poppy' Thomas is the head coach of Lincoln University, with Manchester High past student Ailene Smith as assistant coach.

Sixth in the 400m hurdles final in his last year at Champs in 2007, Cato has since stepped up his pace and was runner-up to Leford Green of Johnson C Smith University at the National Championships in Kingston last June. Cato ran a personal best 49.45 seconds for the silver, with Green winning in 48.90 seconds.

Later in July, Cato clinched the bronze in the 400m hurdles at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in a time of 49.62 seconds, with Green snatching gold in a personal best 48.47 seconds.

With his indoor personal best of 47.01 seconds, Cato is the only athlete so far this season to automatically book his place in next year's NCAA Division II Indoor Championships for Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 11-12.

Again, Cato will likely meet Green, now a senior, who took the 400m silver medal last year at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, when American Josh Scott won in a meet record 46.05 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 46.13 seconds set by Jerome Young in 1998.

Meanwhile, Shanna-Kay Wright, a Vere Technical past student who is also attending Lincoln, followed up on her strong opening season two weeks ago by winning the 60 metres last weekend ahead of two other Jamaicans. Wright ran 7.43 seconds, beating Nyoka Cole and Judith Riley, both timing 7.53 seconds. All three are also members of the Blue Tigers.