NEWLY crowned Jamaican national junior champion Skyler Franklin lowered her personal best in the 400m when she ran 51.01 seconds for third at Friday’s Holloway Pro Classic, a part of the American Track League, on Percy Beard Track at University of Florida in Gainesville.

Franklin, who will turn 17 years old on Wednesday, bettered her previous best of 51.66 which she ran in early April at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational at University of Miami’s Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables, Florida. She has become the second-fastest Jamaican junior female over the one-lap distance behind Sandie Richards’ 50.92 seconds set in May 1987.

The United States-born Franklin, who is expected to be selected for the Jamaican team to the World Athletics Under-20 Championships to be held in Lima, Peru, in late August, moved up to number five on the world Under-20 women’s 400m ranking.

American Aaliyah Butler won in 50.14, beating Bailey Lear who also ran a personal best 50.51 for second place.

JeVaughn Powell, who is to contest the men’s 400m at the Olympic Games in Paris, ran a personal best 20.21 (-0.3m/s) for second place in the men’s 200m. He bettered the 20.52 seconds he ran in The Bahamas in 2023.

Compatriots Javari Thomas, fourth in 20.56, and national champion Bryan Levell, sixth in 20.75, were even farther behind American World Athletics Championships silver medallist Erriyon Knighton who won easily in 19.92.

O’Brien Wasome was also second in the men’s triple jump with 16.51m (0.0m/s), behind American Russell Robinson who recorded 16.91m (0.0m/s). Sean Dixon-Bodie was third with 16.49m (0.5m/s).

Two-time Olympic champion and American record holder Christian Taylor was fifth in the event, his final-ever competition after a long, medal-filled career.

Julian Forte placed fourth in the men’s 100m, running 10.12 (1.2m/s) in the final, with Sandrey Davison placing fifth in 10.13.

Emmanuel Matadi set a Liberian national record 9.91, breaking the 9.97 he had set in August 2023.

Another Liberian, Joseph Fanbullah, was second in a season’s best 10.00, with American Pjai Austin third in 10.06.

Demish Gaye finished fifth in the men’s 400m in 45.98, as 16-year-old Quincy Wilson lowered his world Under-18 best to 44.20 to win the event. He beat fellow American Olympian Bryce Deadmond who ran a season’s best 44.23, just off his personal best 44.22. Matthew Bolling, who ran a personal best 44.84, was third.

Tyler Mason was ninth in the final of the 110m hurdles, running 13.92 (0.5m/s) after he had run 13.45 (1.7m/s) in the prelims.

Yanique Thompson was ninth in the 100m hurdles in 13.18 (-1.7m/s), after she had run 12.75 (0.4m/s) in the earlier prelims.