Former Rusea’s High’s athletes Ackeen Colley and Lamara Distin marked milestones in the men’s 800m and women’s high jump, respectively, over the weekend at US collegiate indoor track and field meets.

Colley smashed the men’s 800m record at Western Illinois University (WIU) after running a season’s best 1: 49.09 seconds to win the event at Grand Valley State’s Big Meet in Allendale, Michigan, while another former Frome Technical and Rusea’s High runner Richard Brown had a personal best 1:49.10 seconds in the same race.

Distin, who also attended Vere Technical and Hydel High, cleared a new personal best height 1.82m (retired) to place third in the women’s high jump at the Tyson Invitational held at the University of Arkansas — the fifth best all-time in Texas A&M University’s history — and tied for fourth in the South Eastern Conference (SEC).

Also on the weekend, there were wins for former Rusea’s High’s hurdler Brithon Senior of the University of South Dakota, who won the men’s 60m hurdles at the Washburn Division 1 Challenge in Topeka, Kansas in a season’s best 7.79 seconds, the best in the Summit League, and tied for 10th overall in the NCAA.

Last Friday evening, former Petersfield High throwers Courtney Lawrence and Daniel Cope — both of Cloud County Community College — won the men’s shot put and weight throw events, respectively, at the Washburn Challenge.

Lawrence continued his dominance in the men’s shot put, winning with a throw of 18.16m and extended his streak to four meets where he has had at least one throw over 18.00m.

Cope not only redeemed himself after fouling out in his last meet, but also beat his previous personal best and school record by just over a metre with a 19.04m effort.

Colley, who transferred from the University of Oklahoma, was making his debut for WIU and broke the old record of 1:49.28 seconds set 28 years ago.

Brown also dipped below his own former best with 1:49.10 seconds, the second best all-time at WIU, and they later teamed up on the 4x400m relay team to win in 3:17.20 seconds, the third best in the Summit League.

Distin, who was a medallist at the Pan American Under-20 championships in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2019, jumped into fifth all-time on the Texas A&M’s women’s indoor high jump list on Saturday, after jumping 1.70m and 1.71m on her two previous meets.