Four Jamaican student athletes, including Clemson University’s middle distance runner Tarees Rhoden and Liberty University’s Warren Barrett, were earlier this week recognised by their respective conferences for outstanding performances last weekend in indoor track and field competitions.

Rhoden was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) male track and field athlete of the week after his school record 1:16.10 seconds over the men’s 600m at the Clemson Invitational, while Barrett became Liberty University’s first Conference USA athlete of the week after winning the men’s shot put at the Burg Open on Friday.

Marrisa Simpson and Jordani Woodley, both of the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP), were also recognised by Conference USA.

Rhoden broke the program record 1:18.18 seconds set in 2021 by Aman Thorton and also lowered his previous personal best 1:17.16 seconds set two years ago.

He was also part of the Clemson University men’s 4x400m relay team that ran 3:07.59, the second best time so far this season.

Barrett, who was competing for the first time in nearly a year after undergoing surgery, won the school’s first Conference USA honour after they moved from the Atlantic Sun Conference this year.

Barrett, who had won two ASUN Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week previously, won the shot put with 18.86m, tops in the conference and eighth overall.

Simpson, the former Clarendon College athlete, and Woodley, formerly of Rusea’s High, were both outstanding in the 60m hurdles at the Stan Scott Memorial hosted by Texas Tech on Saturday.

Simpson ran 8.14 seconds, best in Conference USA and sixth in the NCAA and Woodley improved on his personal best and school record 7.80 seconds with 7.74 seconds.

Not only is Woodley’s time the UTEP record, but also the best ever for Conference USA.

-Paul Reid