William Knibb’s Matheson runs world U-18 lead in 400m
A world Under-18-leading 50.11 seconds in the Class Two Boys’ 400m by Jabari Matheson of William Knibb Memorial High highlighted the County of Cornwall Athletics Association (COCAA) First Chance meet held at Cornwall College in Montego Bay, St James, on Saturday.
The NACAC Under-18 4x400m gold medallist last year in Costa Rica easily won his heat, topping the field that saw his teammate Sebastine Ellis placing second in 53.19 seconds, also winning his section.
Matheson, who has a personal best of 49.11 seconds, topped the World Athletics ranking ahead of Guyana’s Dejaun Grant of Jamaica College who ran 50.32s at the Purewater/Jamaica College/R Danny Williams meet, also held on Saturday in St Andrew.
Herbert Morrison Technical’s Trevoy Smith won the Class One Boys’ 400m, running 50.36s, with William Knibb’s Sanjay Seymore second in 51.16s.
Cornwall College’s O’Brien Bowen won the Class One Boys’ long jump with a big personal best 7.07m (0.5m/s), fourth best in the world in the Under-20 age group so far this year.
Bowen beat his personal best 6.37m set last year at the Milo Western Relays held at G C Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in St Catherine.
His teammate Mar-Lando Farquharson won the Class One Boys’ shot put and discus throws, both with personal best performances.
Farquharson’s 16.51m in the shot put, beating his previous best 16.45m set at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championchips last year, is ranked number six in the world in the Under-20 age group so far, and he also threw 45.38m in the discus throw.
Bronstein Baker, also of Cornwall College, won the Class Two Boys’ double, also with lifetime-best marks of 38.95m in the discus throw and 12.39m in the shot put.
Rhodes Hall’s 400m hurdles specialist Rhianna Lewis won the Class Two Girls’ 800m with a lifetime best 2:35.78 minutes, with Chris-Ann Edwards of Mount Alvernia High taking second in 2:44.45.
Petersfield High’s Fadine Abbott took the Class One Girls’ 100m event in 12.85s (0.4m/s), ahead of William Knibb’s Omelia Jeffery, 12.99s (0.1m/s).
In Class Two, Green Island High’s Daynea Colstock won in 12.88s (-0.5m/s), with Brianna Ming of Petersfield finishing second in 13.01s (-0.7m/s).
William Knibb Memorial’s Sanjay Seymore ran 11.28s (1.5m/s) to win the Class One Boys’ 100m, beating Herbert Morrison’s Chance Segree, 11.31s.
Cornwall College’s Thomas Daley won the Class Two 100m in 11.44s (-1.6m/s), ahead of Green Island’s Oshane Jervis, 11.71s (-2.4m/s).
— Paul Reid
