KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaicans Shenese Walker of Florida State University and Tyrice Taylor of the University of Arkansas led their respective events after Friday’s preliminaries at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 track and field indoor championships at the Tyson Sports Complex at the University of Arkansas.

Walker ran a personal best 7.07 seconds to lead the women’s 60m, improving on her Florida State program record 7.09 seconds, set earlier, and also the fastest in the NCAA so far.

Taylor led the men’s 800m into Saturday’s final, running 1:46.16 seconds with his teammate Rivaldo Marshall third best with 1:46.55 seconds.

Gabrielle Matthews of the University of Florida was fourth fastest in the women’s 200m qualifying, running a personal best 22.71 seconds.

The Georgia pair of  Shaquena Foote and Dejanea Oakley both ran 51.43 seconds to advance in the women’s 400m.

Demario Prince of Baylor University ran 7.49 seconds, seventh best in the qualifying for the men’s 60m hurdles, just ahead of Cashaun Vascianna of the University of Arkansas -7.54 seconds.

Jerome Campbell of the University of Arkansas missed the cut with 7.56 seconds, which placed him 10th overall.

Oneka Wilson of Clemson ran 8.07 seconds to qualify for the women’s 60m hurdles final, but Danae Nembhard of Auburn missed out with 8.09 seconds.

Jordan Turner of Louisiana State University was sixth in the men’s long jump with 7.97m, while Machaeda Linton of Texas A&M University fouled out in the women’s long jump.

At the NCAA Division 2 national championships in Virginia Beach, Lansford Cunningham of Tusculum University placed sixth in the men’s long jump with 7.36m.

— Paul A Reid