KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (CMC) — Rising Grenadian star Kirani James lowered his personal best for the second time in two months when he clocked 45.01 seconds to win the 400 metres Southeastern Conference (SEC) Outdoor Championships on Sunday.

The 17-year-old defeated an impressive field to better the 45.02 seconds he clocked to win gold at the CARIFTA Games in Cayman Islands last month.

“It’s just good to gain experience. Coach said just go out there and compete to the best of my ability,” the University of Alabama freshman said.

“I knew if I just went out there and followed my race plan, I would get the win. I felt really good the whole way around.”

The time was a new school record and was also the fifth fastest time in the world this season. James’ win also compensated for his loss at the SEC championships in February to the University of Georgia’s Torrin Lawrence.

Earlier in the day, James was part of the 4×100 metres relay team which finished sixth fastest overall in a season-best time of 39.64 seconds.