BOSTON, USA – Brianna Lyston stayed on course to win the women’s 60m dash at the NCAA Division 1 indoor championships after equalling her personal best 7.07 seconds in Friday’s second day at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston to advance to Saturday’s final.

Lyston of Louisiana State University (LSU) was given the same time as Jacious Sears of the University of Tennessee and Kaila Jackson of the University of Georgia.

A second Jamaican, Shenese Walker of Florida State University also advanced to the final.

Meanwhile, Nickisha Pryce of the University of Arkansas is through to the finals of the women’s 200m and 400m and Rosealee Cooper of Mississippi State qualified for the 60m hurdles final.

On Friday, Nia Robinson of the University of Arkansas finished fourth in the women’s long jump, equaling her personal best 6.56m, set earlier this year.

University of Texas Freshman Aaliyah Foster was eighth with 6.35m but there was a massive disappointment as NCAA leader Ackelia Smith of Texas failed to get past the first round and finished 12th with one legal jump of 6.21m.

Pryce ran 51.75 seconds in the prelims of the 400m to advance. However, her teammate Joanne Reid, who ran 52.98 seconds, and Big12 Conference champion Dejanea Oakley of Texas, who ran 53.50 seconds, failed to progress.

Pryce clocked 22.79 seconds in the 200m to make it to the final, but compatriots Niesha Burgher of University of Texas-El Paso (22.99 seconds) and Kevona Davis of the University of Texas (23.35 seconds) did not advance.

Cooper ran a personal best 8.05 seconds to get to Saturday’s final of the 60m hurdles but Oneka Wilson of Clemson just missed out, finishing ninth in 8.07 seconds with Marissa Simpson of UTEP also missing out with 8.17 seconds.
Big 12 champion and record holder Kelly Ann Beckford of the University of Houston was 14th overall in the women’s 800m after running 2:06.55, and failed to advance.
-Paul A Reid