Former Jamaican junior representative Bovel McPherson of New Mexico Junior College broke the National Junior College (NJCAA) Indoor and Indoor Championships 400m record after he ran an indoor personal best 45.58 seconds at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Centre in Lubbock on Saturday.

McPherson was one of five Jamaican winners at the two-day championships that ended on Saturday. Shamar Reid of South Plains College; Celine Riddle and Asharria Ulett of Barton County College; and Shevon Depass of Western Texas College were also winners.

McPherson, who won the bronze medal in the men’s 400m at the Pan-Am Juniors held in Costa Rica in 2019, lowered the meet record 45.59 seconds set in 2017 by compatriot Sean Bailey of Western Texas and the NJCAA record 45.84 seconds set in 2011 by Rondell Bartholomew of South Plains Junior College.

Former Holmwood Technical athlete McPherson, who also ran a personal best 20.70 seconds to lead the qualifiers in the 200m, broke his 400m personal best 45.93 that he had set in February.

Reid threw 17.82m to win the men’s shot put after placing eighth last year. Ricardo Hayles of Barton County threw a personal best 17.29m for fifth, with Yekini Bowen of Iowa Western placing sixth with 17.14m.

Bowen was also fifth in the men’s weight throw with 17.34m.

Riddle of Barton County won the women’s long jump with a personal best 6.21m, while Kavel Ritchie of New Mexico JC was seventh with 5.72m.

Riddle was also second in the triple jump with another lifetime best mark of 12.60m.

Ulett, also of Barton County, set a new personal best 8.29 seconds to win the women’s 60m hurdles after leading the preliminaries with 8.36.

Jody Ann Mitchell of New Mexico Junior College was second in the 600m, running 1:32.55 minutes. Her teammate Ysanne Peart was sixth with a personal best 1:35.63, with Serene Douglas of Essex Community College was seventh, also with a personal best 1:36.03.

Both Mitchell and Peart were part of the winning distance medley relay team that ran 11:47.42 minutes.

Shone Walters of Barton County placed second in the women’s 800m with 2:13.68.

Nichalas Power of Indian Hills Community College was also second in the men’s 800m, clocking 1:50.66, while Ainsley Campbell of Butler Community College was sixth in a personal best 1:51.67.

Kaydeen Johnson of Odessa was second in the women’s 1,000m, running 2:56.55.

Cedricka Williams of Barton County threw a personal best 17.68m to place third in the women’s weight throw.

— Paul A Reid