Nikaoli Williams, Safin Wills among Jamaican winners on US collegiate circuit
Nikaoli Williams of the University of Oklahoma jumped a season best 7.93m to win the men’s long jump at the Owen Hewett Invite on Friday night.
Williams’ jump was the NCAA lead for a few hours before it was eclipsed by the University of Texas’ Kelsey Daniel with 8.03m at the Arkansas Invitational — both trail Portugal’s Gerson Balde’s world leading mark of 8.11m set on January 11.
There were also a number of other wins for Jamaicans between Friday night and Saturday including four at Nebraska’s Graduate Classic.
Dyandra Gray of the University of Minnesota won the women’s 400m with a personal best 55.17 seconds with teammate Abigail Schaaffe finishing fourth with 57.29 seconds.
Safin Wills of the University of Oregon won the men’s long jump with 7.32m; Kavian Kerr of Nebraska won the men’s 300m with a time of 34.70 seconds; Jerome Campbell of Northern Colorado won the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.69 seconds; and Minnesota’s Gray was fourth in the women’s 60mH in a season’s best 8.46 seconds.
Kobe Lawrence of the University of Oregon placed second in the men’s shot put with 18.93m while Nebraska’s Rhianna Phipps placed second in the women’s triple jump with a season’s best 13.08m followed by teammates Lotavia Brown in third place with 12.49m and Velecia Williams in fourth with 12.31m, her best so far this season.
Kitania Headley of the University of Minnesota was third in the women’s 600m, running 1 minute 33.77 seconds, with Schaaffe fourth in 1 minute 35.33 seconds.
At the Corky Classic at Texas Tech University, Kimar Farquharson of Texas A&M was second in the men’s 800m with 1 minute 47.98 seconds while Giovouni Henry of Texas Christian University was sixth in 1 minute 49.92 seconds.
Oneika McAnuff of the University of Kentucky won the women’s 400m in 53.25 seconds while two Jamaicans finished second in the women’s and men’s shot put events- Daniel Sloley of Arizona State, 16.16m for second in the women’s event and her teammate Brandon Lloyd was also the runner up in the men’s event with 19.33m. Shamar Reid of South Plains placed third with 17.36m.
Demar Francis of Baylor was sixth in the men’s 400m with 46.69 seconds ahead of Bovel McPherson of New Mexico Junior College who ran 46.76 seconds.
Indoor finalist Zayne Palomino of Southern Missouri was second in the men’s high jump with 2.16m at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville while Christopher Young of the University of Alabama was sixth in the men’s weight throw with 18.66m at the Samford Invite.
Tara Bert of Florida A&M University won the women’s 800m at the HBCU Showcase in New York, running 2 minutes 16.71 seconds while Rochele Solmon of Hampton University won the women’s shot put with 14.95m.