Kishane Thompson lights up Gibson/McCook Relays
Olympic and World Championship 100m silver medallist Kishane Thompson ran a personal best of 6.46 seconds (+0.7) to win the Men’s 60m dash at the 49th Gibson Relays at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Thompson, preparing for the World Indoors, finished ahead of World Championship 200m bronze medallist Bryan Levell, who set a personal best of 6.47. Ackeem Blake, running under protest after being disqualified, was third in 6.48.
The race was close as Thompson and Levell surged forward and crossed the line together.
In the Women’s 60m dash, MVP Track Club’s Jonielle Smith recovered from a poor start to win in 7.07 (+1.0), ahead of Tina Clayton in 7.08 and Levanya Williams of Dynamic Speed in 7.13.
In section B, Serena Cole of Swept Track Club set a personal best of 7.14 (+1.0), defeating Krystal Sloley of the University of Technology (UTech) in 7.15. Theianna-Lee Terrelonge was third in 7.16.
In the men’s 60m, Deandre Daley won heat one in 6.65 ahead of Adrian Kerr in 6.68. In heat two, Sandrey Davison of Sprintec ran a personal best of 6.51, just ahead of Gary Card of UTech in 6.52. Bouwahjgie Nkrumie of Racers finished third in 6.57, also a personal best.
A strong third leg by Tina Clayton helped a select Jamaica team of Shericka Jackson, Jodean Williams, and Jonielle Smith break the first record of the meet in the Women’s Institution relay, finishing in 42.92. The previous record was 43.05.
GC Foster College was second in 44.91, followed by UTech in third with 45.12.
In the men’s Institution relay, Sprintec won in 38.39 with a team of Odaine McPherson, Kadrian Goldson, Brendon Rodney of Canada, and Sandrey Davison, narrowly ahead of Swept in 38.45. Race favourites, Racers, with world champion Oblique Seville, Zharnel Hughes, and Kion Benjamin (Trinidad and Tobago), finished third in 38.75.
Edwin Allen High School captured three of the four girls’ 4x100m relays, winning Class One, Three, and Four. In Class One, Alexxe Henry of Trinidad and Tobago ran a strong back stretch to secure a 44.43 victory over Immaculate Conception in 45.54 and Hydel in 45.64. Edwin Allen also won Class Three and Four in 46.38, while St Jago won Class Two in 45.44.
In the boys’ section, Excelsior High, with a strong anchor leg from Riquelme Reid, won in 39.70. The team included two former Class Two 100m champions, Michael Graham and Malik Nugent.
Jamaica College (JC), with Makaelan Woods (Trinidad), Omary Robinson, Nathaneil Martin, and Malique Dennis, was second in 39.89. Kingston College (KC), without Nyron Wade and Kyle Bodden, was third in 40.27, with Markel Smith, Omarion Miller, Timothy Purrier, and Taj-Oneil Gordon.
Calabar High won Class Two in 40.98, ahead of JC in 41.03 and KC in 41.05. Calabar’s Joshua Ricketts saw his lead challenged by JC’s Kai Kelly and KC’s Emmile Higgins from The Bahamas, who nearly caught both.
Wolmer’s Boys’ won Class Three in 43.40, ahead of KC in 43.69 and JC in 43.85. JC won Class Four in 44.91, turning the tables on KC, who finished in 45.12.