Briana Campbell runs World U-20 lead to win NAIA 100m hurdles
A brilliant World Under-20 leading and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) record 13.01 seconds (0.9m/s) in the 100m hurdles highlighted a three-gold medal haul by Briana Campbell of Life University at the NAIA National Championships that ended on Friday at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Campbell, the former St Jago High standout and who is transferring to Clemson University, beat two-time defending champion Salieci Myles of William Carey University in the hurdles and then won both the 100m and 200m gold medals.
The highly anticipated 100m hurdles clash was a rematch of the Southern States Outdoor Conference where Myles, the former Edwin Allen and Rusea’s High runner had won in a then NAIA record 13.22 seconds.
Campbell, who had lowered the record a week later to 13.05 seconds, crushed it on Friday while Myles, who took the silver medal, matched her 13.22 season best.
The 18-year-old Campbell, who was part of the Life University women’s 4x100m relay team earlier in the day, then ran wind-aided times to win the 100m in 11.38 seconds (2.2m/s) and the 200m in 23.37 seconds (3.6m/s) with Tonyan Beckford of St Thomas University placing sixth in 24.86 seconds.
Deandre Leith of Columbia International was second in the men’s shot put with 18.29m; Tajean Houston of Texas Weslyan was fifth in the 110m hurdles with 14.19 seconds (0.1m/s); Beckford of St Thomas was third in the women’s 400m in 54.43 seconds while Royan Walters of William Carey was third in the men’s long jump with a win-aided 7.57m (4.9m/s).