#NatlTrials: No surprises in men’s, women’s 400-m heats
KINGSTON, Jamaica – World 400-metre relay gold medallist Christine Day and Peter Matthews were the fastest qualifiers advancing to the women’s and men’s 400m semi-finals, respectively, as there were no surprises on day two of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA)/Supreme Ventures Limited
(SVL) National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston, on Friday.
The semi-finals are scheduled to be run on Saturday at 7:00 pm.
Day, running from lane five in heat four, cruised to a comfortable 50.78-second win to advance ahead of Chrisann Gordon (51.65s) and Tiffany James (54.04s).
Stephenie-Ann McPherson led the qualifiers from heat one with a time of 52.10s, with Anastasia Le-Roy (53.31s) and Titania Markland (53.55s) also advancing.
World Championship bronze medallists Shericka Jackson (52.74s) advanced from heat two, while Novlene Williams-Mills (52.51s) comfortably won heat three. Also advancing were Soniqua Walker (52.97s), Patracia Hall (53.73s), Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby (52.74s) and Jody-Ann Muir (53.03s).
On the male side, Matthews running from heat five was comfortable in 45.75 seconds, so too was national record holder Rusheen McDonald (45.99s) from heat one and Calabar’s young sensation Christopher Taylor (46.25s).
Demish Gaye (46.09s) of GC Foster and Javere Bell (46.38s) both cruised into the semi-final from heat three, while Javon Francis (47.22s) led the field in heat six and former national champion Ricardo Chambers (46.60s) from heat seven.
Sherdon Cowan
