Williams, Forbes log US Indoor wins

BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

TARIKA Williams of the University of Miami (Florida) ran a personal best 7.29 seconds to capture the 60m at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg weekend.

She outran Americans Ogechi Nwaneri of Virginia Tech who timed 7.3 and Alishea Usery of the University of Florida who clocked 7.38.

A past student of the Queens School, the 22-year-old Williams bested her previous time of 7.34 set on February 25 last year.

Fourth at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Indoor Championsihps last year, Williams is the sixth-best on the national collegiate and number three in the ACC in the women's 60m.

Meanwhile, Damar Forbes of Louisiana State University (LSU) leapt a season-best 7.94 metres to win the long jump at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York.

His LSU teammate Trinidadian Kyron Blaise placed second with 7.73, while American Tyler Williamson of University of Texas at San Antonio was third with a mark of 7.63.

The 21-year-old Forbes has moved to number two on the national collegiate list and leads the Southeastern Conference (SEC) where he was the indoor silver medallist last year.

Forbes, however, was fourth in the triple jump in a season-best 15.81 metres. He was beaten by athletes no longer in the NCAA, namely Haitian Samyr Laine, who won with 16.49 metres; compatriot Wilbert Walker, 16.1, and Puerto Rican Michael McCadney, 16.0.

Francine Simpson of the University of Kansas logged 6.32m for second in the long jump won by American Alitta Boyd of the University of South Carolina who leapt a personal best 6.33.

America Shakia Forbes of North Carolina A&T State University was third also with 6.32.