Lindsay, Bowen named athletes of the week in US
Jamaicans Toni-Ann Lindsay of the Academy of Art University and Yekini Bowen of Iowa Western Community College were on Tuesday recognised as athletes of the week in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) DII women and National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) men, respectively, after outstanding performances last weekend.
Lindsay, the former Bridgeport High and G C Foster College sprinter, broke the San Francisco-based school’s women’s 60m record with a NCAA DII leading 7.34 seconds to finish second at the Silver & Blue Invitational at the University of Nevada last Friday.
Lindsay became the 19th fastest-ever in NCAA DII women’s 60m with her 7.34, lowering her previous personal best 7.49 that she had run on two separate occasions.
Lindsay, who had run 7.44 in the preliminaries, broke the Academy of Art University’s school record 7.40 set by Vashti Thomas in 2012.
Bowen, the former Petersfield High Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association athletics championships medallist, won the men’s shot put. He also threw a personal best in the men’s weight throw to finish second at Doane University’s Scott Nisely Invitational in Crete, Nebraska.
Bowen, a double All-American in last year’s NJCAA DI Outdoor Championships in the shot put and discus throw, was in outstanding form as he went over 18.00m for the first time in the weight throw with a mark of 18.30m. It was the second best-ever in the school’s history, bettering his previous best of 17.87m. He also won the shot put with 16.02m, fourth best in NJCAA so far.
Shaquena Foote of San Diego State University, who finished just behind Lindsay in the 60m at the Silver & Blue Invitational, and Clemson University’s triple jumper Shantae Foreman were named Mountain West and Atlantic Coast Conference Athletes of the week, respectively.
Foote, who set two lifetime best efforts last weekend — both top 10 marks at San Diego State — was named the Mountain West female track athlete of the week after she ran 7.35 in the 60m, beating her previous best of 7.43. She then clocked 23.22, improving her previous best of 23.44, to win the 200m. She was unchallenged, easing through the finish line for the victory.
Foreman was named ACC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week after an impressive triple jump win at Clemson’s home meet, leading both the ACC and the NCAA. Foreman won with a 13.84m effort, the second best all-time at Clemson.
— Paul A Reid
