Double win for jumper Shakwon Coke at NJCAA Outdoor National
SHAKWON Coke completed a near-perfect final season at Barton County College after he won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) men’s long and triple jump double at the outdoor national that ended at South Plains College in Lubbock, Texas, on Thursday.
The former Kingston College standout had one loss in two national championships when he placed second in the triple jump at the indoor nationals and was second and third in the triple and long jumps, respectively, in those two events at the NJCAA Region VI Indoor Championships in February.
He, however, atoned with another double at the JCAA Region VI Outdoor Championships two weeks ago.
Coke was one of four Jamaicans who won their events at the three-day championships, in addition to Barton County teammates Lashanna Graham in the women’s 400m hurdles, Kayan Green in the women’s 800m and Courtney Lawrence of Cloud County in the men’s shot put.
On Tuesday, Coke won the long jump with 7.58m (0.1m/s) and returned Thursday to win the triple jump with 5.51 (-2.6m/s).
Graham, the former Edwin Allen runner and Barton County school record holder, completed a perfect season in the 400m hurdles by winning in 58.61 seconds, with Dyandra Grey of Iowa Western second in 1 minute 02.12 seconds and Moisha Barnes of New Mexico Junior College fifth with 1:03.48 seconds.
Graham also took third place in the 400m final, clocking 54.11 seconds, while former St Catherine High runner Anna-Kay Allen of South Plains College placed fifth in 54.85 seconds.
Kayan Green was also unbeaten in the junior college ranks through the season and capped her first year at Barton County with the victory in the women’s 800m, winning in an easy 2:10.55 seconds. Former St Elizabeth Technical runner Shadae Findley of Western Texas was second in 2:13.11 seconds and Cemore Donald of South Plains was third in 2:13.71 seconds.
Courtney Lawrence set a new Cloud County school record with a big 18.98m personal best to win the men’s shot put, to complete back-to-back indoor and outdoor perfect seasons.
Earlier, the former Petersfield High thrower had also broken the school record in the indoor season.
Former Rusea’s High athlete Nia Robinson had two runner-up finishes, taking second place in the women’s long and high jump competitions.
Robinson completed a wind-aided 6.12m (2.1m/s) for second in the long jump, with former Holmwood Technical jumper Susan Francis of New Mexico Junior College taking third with 6.03m (2.8m/s) and Alliyah McNeil of Iowa Western placing third with 5.98m (2.9m/s).
Robinson and McNeil were tied for second in the high jump, both clearing 1.73m, while Annia Ashley of Barton County was sixth with 1.63m.
She was also fourth in the triple jump with 12.21m (-2.5m/s) with Faithlyn Irving of Cloud County placing eighth with 11.56m (0.0m/s).
Daniel Cope of Cloud County also had two podium finishes, taking second in the men’s discus throw with a personal best 56.56m, with Lawrence placing fourth also with a personal best 51.56m.
Cope was also third in the men’s hammer throw with 57.80m.
Cloud County’s Marie Forbes, who will be attending Clemson University later this year, took second place in the women’s discus throw with a lifetime best 51.47m and was fifth in the hammer throw with 49.66m.
Former Buff Bay jumper Romaine Beckford of South Plains lost for the first time in the high jump this season, placing second with a clearance of 2.13m, and was also seventh in the javelin throw with 48.82m.
Kimeon McLeod of New Mexico Junior College was second in the 10m hurdles with a personal best 13.60 seconds (2.0m/s); Tyrese Reid of Barton County matched his indoor placing with second in the men’s 800m in 1:50.68 seconds; while indoor national champion Jevon-Taye Williams of South Plains placed third in 1:51.57 seconds.
Michael Buchanan was fourth in the 110m hurdles in 14.22 seconds (2.6m/s) after he ran a personal best 14.14 seconds in the prelims, and Jauavney James was sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles in 54.72 seconds.