NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Briana Williams clocked a brilliant 10.98 seconds (1.0m/s) to win the women’s 100m final at Monday’s American Track League Duval County Challenge at Hodges Stadium, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, smashing her own Jamaican National Under-20 record that was set a day earlier.

Despite running 11.01 seconds at the JAC Summer Open at the same track on Sunday and then a wind-aided 10.97 seconds (2.5m/s) in Monday’s preliminary round, Williams’ Coach Ato Boldon said it was part of the plan as they have bigger and better things to look ahead to.

World Under-20 100m hurdles silver medallist Brittany Anderson ran her lifetime best 12.58 seconds (1.2m/s) on her way to winning the event as seven more Jamaicans, including Ronda White who clocked a season-best 54.33 seconds in the 400m hurdles, improved their performances.

Williams’ record was one of two set on Monday as American 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton broke Usain Bolt’s Under-18 World Best in the 200m when he ran 20.11 seconds (1.6m/s) from lane two to beat American World Championships bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell (20.20 seconds) and European champion Zharnel Hughes (20.30 seconds).

Boldon told the Jamaica Observer Monday night that Williams’ new personal best was not a surprise but the aim was to get back to the 10.94 seconds that she had run in 2019 at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Senior Championships, which was later wiped out due to a failed drug test.

“I always see it coming,” he said. “She was supposed to run 10.87 tonight but she had a bad reaction and then panicked a bit and stood up out of her drive phase early. I just want her to execute better than she did tonight. She knows she can be better. If she does that, the time will come.”

Before the June 24-27 championships that will help select the Jamaican team to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Williams is set to run twice more, Boldon said. “She will run another 100m [with a semi] and another 200m at our home track, and then that’s it before trials.”

Boldon added: “In our minds her PR [personal record] is 10.94, even though it couldn’t stand, so I think until she beats that again we aren’t that bothered.”

Williams, who also won a US$5,000 bonus for the fastest 40-yard split by a female on the day, said: “I am happy, excited and overwhelmed. It’s now back to work — and there is more to come.”

On her social media page, she added: “I am super happy to have come out of the race healthy and also to lower my record after running 11.01 yesterday and 10.98 today…the sub-11.00 seconds was expected. We saw the signs in practice and coach never stopped believing in me.”

Williams’ run on Monday came almost two years to the day when she had run 11.10 seconds at the same track to break the then Jamaican Youth and Junior records.

On Monday, Americans Mikiah Brisco (11.09 seconds) and Dezerea Bryant (11.14 seconds) were second and third, respectively, as the Florida-born Jamaican tied fourth all times in the Under-20 with Candace Hill, who ran the time in 2015 and trails Under-20 World Record holder Sha’Carrie Richards (10.75 seconds) and two East Germans — Marlies Oelsner (10.88 seconds) and Katrin Krabbe (10.89 seconds).

She is also tied for fourth among Jamaican women with Kemba Nelson, trailing Elaine Thompson (10.78 seconds), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.84 seconds) and Natasha Morrison (10.87 seconds).

Anderson, who is also based in Florida, won the 100m hurdles in 12.59 seconds (0.7m/s) after she had run 12.58 seconds (1.2m/s) in the first round, sixth-best in the world this year and also sixth-best ever by a Jamaican woman.

Former World Champion Danielle Williams was third in a season’s best 12.65 seconds (0.7) — just under her 12.66 seconds (1.0m/s) earlier in the day.

White surged to the top of the list of Jamaican 400m hurdles women after she ran a season’s best 54.33 seconds, second best in the world behind American Shamier Little who won with a world-leading 53.12 seconds while Shiann Salmon finished third with a lifetime best 54.97 seconds.

Yohan Blake was second in the men’s 100m final in 10.09 seconds (1.3m/s) after he ran a wind-aided 10.05 seconds (3.1m/s) in the prelims as the American Ronnie Baker won in 9.99 seconds and Marvin Bracey-Williams was third in 10.11 seconds.

In the men’s 400m hurdles Andre Clarke finished third in 49.48 seconds while Christopher Taylor was fourth in the men’s 400m in 45.75 seconds.

O’Dayne Richards was fourth in the men’s shot put with a best of 19.70m, and also had throws of 19.66m and 19.68m in his series.

Orlando Bennett placed fifth in the 110m hurdles in 13.47 seconds (1.1m/s) as World and Olympic Games champions Omar McLeod had run 13.16 seconds (1.9m/s) in first round but did not show for the finals that was won by American world leader Grant Holloway in 13.10 seconds (1.1m/s).

In the ‘B’ races that were part of the meet, Javon Francis ran a season’s best 45.84 seconds to win the 400m, Andre Ewers won the 100m in 10.22 seconds (1.9m/s), while Senoj-jay Givans was second in 10.25 seconds and Kemario Eldermire was fourth in the 400m hurdles in 52.39 seconds.