Mullings continues super form with meet record at ASU Twilight
Former Jamaican junior representative Ralford Mullings continued his impressive first season at Arizona State University (ASU) after he set a meet record in the men’s discus throw at the ASU Twilight meet on Friday with a mark of 63.62m.
Mullings, who has lost just once outdoors this year, broke the meet record 62.47m and was winning back-to-back meets after setting his personal best 65.39m to win at last weekend’s Mt San Antonio College (Mt SAC) meet.
The former Kingston College athlete, who was a silver medallist at the World Under-20 Championships last year, is ranked number two in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) standings.
Meanwhile, there were wins for several other Jamaicans, including national record holder Lamara Distin and Ackera Nugent at the Michael Johnson Classic at Baylor University; Owayne Owens at the Virginia Classic; and Kobe-Jordan Rhooms at the Morgan State Legacy meet.
Distin of Texas A&M University, who has broken both the indoor and outdoors high jump records this year, cleared 1.93m to win the women’s high jump at the Baylor meet.
Nugent, the World Under-20 100m hurdles champion from last year, was the first college athlete in the 100m hurdles, running a wind-aided 12.91 seconds (2.1m/s) to win at her home meet.
Former Vere Technical runner Desmisha of Texas Tech University was the second college runner in the race with 12.87 seconds (2.1m/s).
Former Manchester High and Holmwood Technical runner Kavia Francis, also of Baylor, was the first college runner in the women’s 400m, running a personal best 52.54 seconds.
Another Jamaican Andrenette Knight had placed third overall with 51.64 seconds.
Owens of the University of Virginia jumped a season’s best 16.27m (1.6m/s) to win the men’s triple jump at Virginia Challenge with former Jamaica College jumper Malik Cunningham taking third with 15.66m (0/5m/s).
Former St Jago runner Kayla Bonnick won the women’s 100m in a wind-aided 11.48 seconds (3.4m/s).
Three Jamaicans, all of Liberty University, were in the finals of the men’s shot put, led by Kevin Nedrick, who was fourth with a personal best 18.35, Warren Barrett fifth with a season’s best 18.12m, and Kyle Mitchell was seventh with 17.95m.
Nedrick was also sixth in the men’s discus Invitational with 56.02m.
Rhooms of Morgan State won two events: the men’s triple jump and long jump at the Morgan State Legacy meet, both with personal best marks.
The former Cornwall College athlete and reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Field Athlete Of The Week won the triple jump with an MEAC leading 15.70m (-0.4m/s), while Omari McKenzie also of Morgan State was seventh with 14.22m (0.8m/s).
In the long jump, Rhooms won with 7.52m (-0.4m/s), while McKenzie was fourth in the high jump with a college best 1.95m, tied for third in MEAC.
Another former Cornwall College runner Brenton Shippy of South Carolina State ran a personal best and MEAC leading 10.26 seconds (1.5m/s) for second overall and first college runner at the University of South Carolina Outdoors Open.
Former St Elizabeth Technical High School runner Dashinelle Dyer of Clemson was fourth in 10.34 seconds (1.5m/s) and Fabian Hewitt also of Clemson was sixth in 10.39 seconds (0.7m/s).
Kiara Grant, formerly of Norfolk State and now of Clemson, was third in the women’s 100m in 11.28 seconds (1.8m/s).
Former Rusea’s High Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association Champs double gold medallist Aaliyah Francis of Auburn was third in the women’s 400m at the Crimson Tide Invitational at the University of Alabama with 54.64 seconds.