JAMAICA’S World Championships relay medallist Stacey-Ann Williams ran a world-leading and personal best 50.12 seconds to win the women’s Olympic Development 400m on Saturday’s final day of the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Kiara Grant was also a winner as she ran a lifetime best 10.99 seconds (1.6m/s) to win the women’s Olympic Development 100m, the joint 21st-fastest Jamaican woman over the distance.

At the Mt SAC Relays in Walnut Creek, California, Commonwealth Games champion Lamara Distin opened her outdoor season with a college-leading 1.93m effort in the women’s high jump invitational.

In Florida, Williams of Elite Performance Track Club beat a quality field and lowered her previous personal best from 50.14 seconds set in June 2021.

Florida-based Junelle Bromfield ran a season’s best 51.85 seconds for fourth place, followed by Leah Anderson (52.13 seconds). Hurdles specialist Andrenette Knight was seventh with 52.15 seconds and 800m specialist Natoya Goule was eighth with 52.82 seconds.

Grant, who attends Clemson University but ran unattached, won the women’s 100m in 10.99 seconds (1.6m/s), beating Americans Celia Barnes who ran a wind-assisted 11.05 seconds (2.9m/s) and Maia McCoy- 11.08 seconds (1.6m/s).

Former Champs Boys’ Class One winner Sachin Dennis ran his personal best 10.11 seconds (1.4m/s) for fifth in the men’s Olympic Development 100m, while Nigel Ellis was ninth in 10.23 seconds.

Akeem Bloomfield was the best-placed Jamaican man in the Olympic Development 400m, running 45.52 seconds for seventh place; Javon Francis was ninth in 46.22 seconds, while Jaheel Hyde ran 46.35 seconds.

Danielle Williams was fourth in the 100m hurdles in 12.74 seconds (1.4m/s), just ahead of Kerrica Hill’s 12.86 seconds, with Crystal Morrison next with 12.87 seconds

Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell, who ran 13.12 seconds (1.1m/s) in the preliminaries, did not finish the final of the 110m hurdles.

Rajay Hamilton ran a lifetime best 1:45.91 minutes to win the men’s 800m, beating Jamaican compatriot Tarees Rhoden of the University of Clemson who also run his personal best 1:46.20.

On Friday, Lashanna Graham of Clemson ran a personal best 56.54 seconds in the women’s 400m hurdles, third-best ever in the school’s history and under her previous best of 57.17 seconds set at the Texas Relays two weeks earlier.

— Paul A Reid