FOUR former national junior representatives were crowned national champions at last weekend’s NJCAA Indoor Championships at Robert W Plaster Center in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Shakwon Coke of Barton County and Nickisha Pryce of Iowa Western retained their respective men’s long jump and women’s 400m titles, while Jeremy Bembridge and Kimar Farquharson of South Plain College won their first national titles.

Nia Robinson of Barton County lost her long jump title and had to settle for two second-place finishes at the two-day championships.

Coke, the former Kingston College athlete who has committed to the University of Arkansas, produced a personal best 7.83m to retain his long jump title as former St Elizabeth Technical jumper Michael Buchanan of Iowa Western was third with 7.58m.

Buchanan, who ran a personal best 7.80 seconds to lead the men’s 60m hurdles qualifiers, ended up sixth in the final in 7.99 seconds.

Pryce, the former Vere Technical star, won back-to-back 400m titles, running 53.68 seconds as former St Catherine High star Anna Kay Allen of South Plains was fifth in 56.12 seconds.

Pryce, however, failed to retain her double as she finished fourth in the 200m final in 24.20 seconds.

Bembridge, who was ruled ineligible to compete at the ISSA Champs this year after transferring from Calabar High to Jamaica College, won his first national title when he clocked 46.62 seconds to cross the line first in the men’s 400m.

Former Holmwood Technical runner Tahj Hamm of Iowa Western was fourth in 47.19 seconds and former Calabar High runner Shevoi Reid of South Plains was sixth in 47.53 seconds.

Farquharson won the men’s 800m, running 1:50.85 seconds and beating compatriot and former Calabar High teammate Rivaldo Marshall of Indian Hills College who did 1:51.30 seconds, with former Edwin Allen runner Chevonne Hall, now of South Plains, fourth in 1:52.67 seconds.

Robinson, formerly of Rusea’s High, produced a personal best 6.19m in the long jump, her only legal mark, in the first round, was good only for second with Aliyah McNeil of Iowa Western was fourth with 5.94m

Her 12.60m was also good for the silver in the triple jump as former Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha” student Aaliyah Lindsay of New Mexico Junior College was fifth in 12.20m.

McNeil, the former St Elizabeth Technical jumper, was unable to defend her high jump title as she finished second in 1.75m, with Robinson fifth with 1.70m.

Former STETHS athlete Shadae Findley of West Texas was second in the women’s 800m with 2:12.36 seconds, beating former Queen’s School athlete Britney Brown of Iowa Central who was third in 2:16.77 seconds, with former St Jago runner Latifah Pinnock placing seventh in 2:21.02 seconds.

Jamaicans were second in both multi-events as Lindsay scored 3,472 points in the Pentathlon for New Mexico JC while former Calabar High athlete Andrew Betton was second in the heptathlon for Cloud County with 5,065 points.

Terresha Walcott of Iowa Western was third in the women’s 60m with 7.51 seconds and her twin sister Tirecia was fifth in 7.55 seconds; their teammate Gray Dyandra was third in the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.37 seconds while Kimeone McLeod of New Mexico was sixth in 8.55 seconds.

Former Edwin Allen star Lashana Graham of Barton was third in the women’s 600m with 1:33.78 seconds, Sancia Smith of Western Texas was sixth in 1:35.14 seconds, and Kayan Green of Barton was seventh in 1:37.03 seconds.

Former Clarendon College thrower Brandon Lloyd of Barton was third in the men’s shot put with 16.79m and former Jamaica College thrower Christopher Brown of Highland was sixth with 16.17m.

Former Petersfield High athlete Jazmyn James of Highland CC was fourth in the shot put with 13.35m while Shakera Williams of Highland CC was fifth with 13.11m.