Jamaica’s Oblique Seville and Rajindra Campbell finished second in their respective events on Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

They were among four Jamaicans to achieve podium positions at the event on Saturday – a day after Dejanae Oakley won the women’s 400m – with sprint hurdler Demario Prince and discus thrower Roje Stona earning third-placed finishes.

Seville, the world leader, ran 9.89 seconds (0.1m/s) but was beaten to the finish line by Kayinsola Ajayi who equaled his Nigerian national record 9.84 seconds. Christian Coleman of the USA was third in a season’s best 9.95 seconds. Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake was fifth in 10.06 seconds.

Campbell’s 22.16m in the first round was his best mark of the day as Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri threw a world leading 22.74m to win while American Jordan Geist was third with 21.98m.

Prince, the Jamaican national champion, ran a personal best 13.01 seconds (1.8m/s) to place third in the 110m hurdles, beating his previous best 13.12 seconds that he set at the JAAA national championships two weeks ago.

Orlando Bennett was fifth in a season’s best 13.15 seconds while American Jamal Britt ran a personal best and meet record 12.86 seconds to beat NCAA champion Ja’Kobe Tharpe who was second in 12.91 seconds.

Stona threw 67.42m for third behind Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania who won with 71.06m and Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia who threw 69.94m.

Two-time NCAA champion Ralford Mullings was fifth with 64.94m on his professional debut.
Jonielle Smith ran a lifetime best 10.89 seconds (0.0m/s), faster than the 10.94 seconds she ran earlier this year to move eight places up to 14th on the Jamaican women’s 100m all-time list.

Tina Clayton was fifth with 11.00 seconds and Shericka Jackson sixth with 11.02 seconds as American Melissa Jefferson- Wooden ran a season’s best 10.78 seconds to edge her compatriot Sha’Carri Richardson- 10.79 seconds, with Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands third in 10.80 seconds.

Danielle Williams was fifth in the 100m hurdles in 12.51 seconds (0.8m/s) and Ackera Nugent sixth in 12.63 seconds behind world leader Masai Russell of the USA who equaled the meeting record 12.24 seconds. Tobi Amusan of Nigeria was second with 12.34 seconds and Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas third with 12.41 seconds.

Bryan Levell placed fifth in the men’s 200m with 20.20 seconds (-0.9m/s) and Adrian Kerr was ninth in 20.78 seconds with 18-year-old American Tate Taylor winning in a personal best 19.75 seconds, fourth best so far this year. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana was second with 19.93 seconds and Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba third with 20.11 seconds.

-Paul A Reid