Meet records fell in their numbers at the sixth University of the West Indies (UWI) Track & Field Invitational Meet at the Stadium East field yesterday.

Sportswoman of the Year Sherone Simpson led the way for the record-breakers, while Asafa Powell, though just short of the meet record, has shown the benefits of resistance training with a personal-best mark. All races were timed finals.

Sherone Simpson (left) holds a commanding lead in the women's 400m Open at the UWI Invitational Meet at Stadium East Field yesterday. Simpson won in 52.65secs ahead of MVP teammate Brigitte Foster-Hylton (centre, 53.81) and Aleen Bailey (54.43). (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Simpson, the top female sprinter in the world last year, clocked 52.65 seconds to win the clubs 400m. She got the better of UTech/MVP team-mate Brigitte Foster, 53.81, and Royalty Track Club's Aleen Bailey, 54.43.

Simpson broke the previous record of 54.76 held by Nadia Cunningham and will continue to run warm-up one-lap events before settling down to her shorter pet sprints ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, on August 25 to September 2.
Powell missed out on Gregory Little's meet record of 47.05 as he timed a personal best 47.17 seconds to finish ahead of clubmate Mario Forsythe, 47.19, and Paul Bogle of Jamalco, 47.52.

Kaliese Spencer, also of UTech/MVP, clocked a personal best 2:06.14, the sixth fastest time outdoors this season. The World Junior 400m hurdle champion outsped the UWI's duo of Mellesha Thomas, 2:14.36, and Aisha Hume, 2:17.92.

At press time, chairperson of the organising committee of UWI Invitational, Olympian Grace Jackson, said she was so far pleased with the meet and was "thankful" that it appeared to be finishing earlier than anticipated. The meet was scheduled to finish by 8:45 pm.
"A lot of spectators are coming out and the environment made competition a lot easier," she said.

UTech/MVP stars apart, Vere Technical's girls were in workmanlike form.
Vere's Deandra Whitchorne lowered the Girls Class Three 400m meet record to 58.09 seconds, ahead of the Manchester High duo of Jerece Maxwell, 58.19, and Shantel Adams, 58.51.
Vere captured the top three places in the Girls Class Two 400m, Shanellha Benjamin ripping apart the meet record of 58.27 seconds. Benjamin clocked 56.58, edging out Samalia Cousins, 56.74, and Jura Levy, 56.80.

Kendra Minott of Vere topped the Girls Class One 800m, lowering the meet record of 2:20.04 to 2:19.17. Mustang Track Club's Kadeen Foster was the second best in 2:26.96 with Bridgeport High's Fasheka Granstan third in 2:28.86.

GC Foster College girls took the club's 4x100m, winning in a meet record 46.44 seconds. Royalty Track Club was second in 47.98 and the UWI third in 48.73. The old record was 51.96 held by Trupial Track Club.
In the Boys 400m Class Three, St George's College Jermain Fyffe won in a meet record 51.73 seconds, beating Kingston College's Jovan Brown, 52.06, and Calabar's Akeem Smith, 52.53.

Fortis International's D'Omar Boyden made light of the Boys Class Two 400m field with a meet record 48.62 seconds. The old mark was 49.12.
Ramone McKenzie and Natakie Williams, both of Calabar, took the other two spots in 50.15 and 50.61 seconds.

Donahue Williams of KC was on track in the Class Two 1500m, winning in a meet record 4:16.26. Vere's Gordon Garnett, who won the 800m, was second in 4:17.12, with KC's Adrian Bonner third in 4:18.20.
Garnett ran a meet record 1:58.21 for victory in the 800m, eclipsing Jamalco's Sunil Kates, 1:59.64, and St Jago High's Richard Daniels, 2:01.98.

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