HAVING chased and gone over the elusive 2.00m in the women’s high jump, Lamara Distin — the best to do it for Jamaica and in the NCAA — says she is not satisfied and has set her sights even higher.

On Saturday’s final day of the South-Eastern Conference (SEC) indoor championships at Tyson Sports Complex in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Texas A&M University (TAMU) senior cleared 2.00m on her third try, after having won her third-straight indoor title earlier, taking her event to a new level.

“I have been chasing this mark for the longest time, and y’all know that, so for me to finally break this 2.00m barrier it’s such a tremendous achievement,” she told the Jamaica Observer. “I knew I had it in me, it just takes time. I’m a firm believer of the Lord and I believe that everything happens for a reason — and when God say it’s time, no one can stop that. I’m just truly grateful for yet another milestone. I’m not done yet and I’ll only get better.”

Distin, who turns 24 years old in two weeks’ time and who is ranked number three in the world, improved on her Jamaican national record and TAMU programme records, which were 1.97m. She also broke the collegiate record of 1.98m that is held jointly by Destinee Hooker of the University of Texas and Akela Jones of Kansas State, and tied the facility record held by American Vashti Cunningham set in 2021.

The former Rusea’s High, Vere Technical, and Hydel High athlete, who held the previous meet record of 1.95m set last year, needed one jump to get over the first six heights she attempted but knocked over the bar on her first two attempts at 2.00m.

“After failing twice it was quite a nerve-wracking moment for me because I’ve come pretty close to that exact mark in practice and for me to do that in practice, why can’t I do it competition with all that adrenaline, etc? I just refocused and focus on the little things that I need to focus on, and I was successful. Super grateful for such a memorable weekend,” she added.

Also at the SEC Indoor Championships, Romaine Beckford of University of Arkansas won the men’s title with a 2.25m clearance while Villanova’s Roschell Clayton won the Big East women’s high jump title, clearing 1.85m; her teammate Malaika Cunningham placed fifth with 1.65m.

Daniella Anglin of South Dakota was second in the women’s high jump at the Summit League Indoors Championships, the first time she was losing at a conference fShantae Foreman of Clemson University improved on her personal best in the women’s triple jump for the fourth time since December when she won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title with 13.68m, up from 13.61m set two weeks ago. She had placed second in the long jump on Friday evening’s session with a personal best 6.37m.

Also on Friday, Wayne Pinnock of University of Arkansas and Ackelia Smith of University of Texas won their first indoor long jump championships at the South-Eastern Conference (SEC) and Big12 indoor championships, respectively.

Pinnock, the World Championships silver medallist who was second last year to then teammate Carey McLeod, won with a jump of 8.28m while his teammate Nia Robinson was second in the women’s long jump with 6.44m.

Smith, who won the NCAA outdoors title last year needed just two jumps to win the Big12 title at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, with a mark of 6.74m, while her teammate Aaliyah Foster was third with 6.34m.

Smith was also fourth in the triple jump on Saturday with 13.37m, taking only two jumps, and was fifth in the 60m in 7.29 seconds.

Also at the ACC indoors on Saturday, Jaheem Hayles of Syracuse University won the men’s 60m hurdles in a season’s best 7.65 seconds; Oneka Wilson of Clemson won the women’s 60m hurdles in a season’s best 8.04 seconds, and Shanese Walker of Florida State University won the women’s 60m in a lifetime-best 7.20 seconds. Walker was also tied for second in the women’s 200m in her personal best 23.30 seconds while Okera Myrie of Clemson was seventh in 23.93 seconds.

Tareese Rhoden of Clemson reclaimed his men’s 800m title by running a season’s best 1:47.08 seconds while D’Andre Anderson took two second-place finishes in the men’s 200m and 400m, running lifetime bests in both.

Anderson lowered his 200m best for the second time in the championships after he ran 20.87 seconds while teammate Tahj Hamm was sixth in 21.48 seconds. Anderson ran 45.85 seconds in the 400m.

Meanwhile, Courtney Lawrence of Clemson was second in the men’s shot put with 19.03m, beaten in the final round.

At the Big 12 championships, Demario Prince of Baylor University was fourth in the men’s 60m hurdles, equalling his personal best and programme record of 7.62 seconds that he set in the first round.

At the Mountain West Championships, Shaquena Foote of San Diego State won the women’s 400m, lowering her own school record to 52.43 seconds. She placed third in the 200m, also in a new lifetime best 23.44 seconds, as Shakeira Bowra of University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) was sixth in 24.13 seconds and her teammate AnnaKay Maitland seventh in 24.29 seconds. Bowra was also fourth in the women’s 60m in 7.50 seconds.

Warren Barrett of Liberty University won the men’s shot put at the Conference USA championships with 18.64m, with Cobe Graham of Sam Houston State fifth with 15.70m. Rhianna Phipps of University of Nebraska was second in the Big 10 women’s triple jump with a season’s best 13.32m; her teammate Lotavia Brown placed third with a personal best 13.09m.

Janielle Josephs of University of Minnseota was fourth in the women’s 400m in a season’s best 53.07 seconds, and Antonio Hanson of Ohio State was fourth in the men’s 400m when he ran a lifetime best 46.84 seconds.