UTech hit double jackpot at Penn’s
PHILADELPHIA, USA — The University of Technology (UTech) won two college Championships of America’s titles on Saturday as the 116th Penn Relays Carnival came to an end.
The female 4x400m team retained their title, while Kimmari Roach became the second UTech runner to win the men’s College 100 metres title in three years.
After becoming the first Jamaican college team to win the women’s mile relay event last year, Alecia Cutenar replaced Kaleise Spencer on the team that led with 3 minutes 32.81 seconds after the preliminary heats before winning in 3:31.54 on Saturday.
Led off by IAAF World Championships representative Christine Day in 53.7 seconds, World Championships 200m finalists Anneisha McLaughin split 52.5 seconds handing off to Cutenar (53.71 seconds), while McPherson anchored with a fast 51.60.
GC Foster were 33rd in the heats in 3:47.73, while the UTech men were fourth in their final in 3:06.55.
Roach, who was second behind Auburn’s Marcus Rowland in the preliminary with 10.39 seconds, ran 10.34 in the final to join Olympic relay gold medallist Nesta Carter, who won in 2007.
Two other Jamaicans have won the sprint here. Former William Knibb athlete Lerone Clarke won while representing Lincoln University of Missouri in 2004 and former St Jago runner Donovan Powell won for Texas Christian in 1994.
The UTech women were third in the 4x100m Championship final in 43.66 seconds with a team of McPherson, Carrie Russell, McLaughlin and Judith Riley after running 44.04 in the heats.
GC Foster, who were 15th in the heats in 45.69, took second in the college final with 45.08, with Malika Scott, Anastacia Leroy, Audra Segree and Sashane Gayle.
The UTech men were second in the 4x100m final, running 39.88 seconds with Winston Barnes, Jacques Harvey, Andre Wellington and Roach beaten to the line by Texas A&M.
GC Foster were eighth in the championships 4x200m in 1 minute 24.90 seconds.
O’Dayne Richards of UTech was fourth in the college men’s shot put with 16.88m.
Former Holmwood Technical’s Salcia Slack continued her comeback by placing fifth in the college long jump with 5.99m, while former Alpha Academy star Claudia Calder was 19th in the 400m hurdles in 1 minute 0.59 seconds, running for Hampton University, and UTech’s Andrea Reid was 32nd overall in 1:1.55.
Former Kingston College runner Leford Green continued his entry to the 400m hurdles by placing second in 50.29 seconds, representing Johnson C Smith University.
Phelecia Reynolds, representing Louisiana Tech, was second in the college women’s discus with a best mark of 51.88m, while national long jump champion and World Championship representative Alain Bailey of the University of Arkansas was second in 7.86m and Nicholas Gordon of Nebraska fifth in 7.64m.
Natasha Ruddock of Texas A&M was second in the college women’s 100m hurdles in 12.87 seconds, while IAAF World Junior Championships silver medallist Shermaine Williams, who was second here last year with a national junior record of 13.06 seconds, was ninth in 13.62 running out of lane nine.
Samantha Henry of Louisiana State University, who won the college women’s 100m last year, was third in 11.43 seconds.