Clarke, Bailey, Hudson to lead J’can athletes at Ed Murphey Classic
KINGSTON, Jamaica – National champions Roshawn Clarke, Sean Bailey and Andrew Hudson are among the over 30 Jamaican athletes who are set to compete at the two-day Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, starting Friday.
Clarke, who equalled the World Under-20 record in the men’s 400m hurdles and Bailey, who won his second national men’s 400m title, will be competing for the first time since the national championships that was held a month ago.
Also expected to take part are World Championships finalist Oblique Seville in the men’s 100m, newly minted men’s shot put record holder Rajindra Campbell and Navasky Anderson, who broke the national men’s 800m record on Sunday.
Clarke and former national champion Jaheel Hyde will contest the men’s 400m where they will line up against a tough field that includes American Amere Lattin.
Bailey and national runner-up Antonio Watson will compete against Grenada’s Kirani James and the American pair of Michael Cherry and Quincy Hall.
Hudson, who was prevented from competing at last year’s World Championships as his transfer of allegiance from the USA was not completed in time, will contest the men’s 200m along with Rasheed Dwyer and will face Canada’s Andre DeGrasse, Steven Gardner of The Bahamas and American Kenny Bednarek.
Anderson, who was held back by injuries earlier in the season has run faster in each of his last five outings, culminating with a new national record 1:44.70 seconds in the men’s 800m and will be hoping for a good performance today.
National champion Rajay Hamilton will also be in the race that will also see Festus Lagat of Kenya, Devin Dixon of the USA and Puerto Rico’s John Rivera.
Seville, who was third in the men’s 100m final at the national championships, will be racing for the first time since then and will line up against Americans Christian Coleman and Marvin Bracy-Williams in the men’s100m Invitational A, while Tyquendo Tracy and Davonte Burnett will be in the B race against American Kyree King, Cejhae Green of Antigua and Emmanuel Matadi of Liberia.
Nataliah Whyte, Remona Burchell and Ashanti Moore will take on Americans Javianne Oliver and English Gardner in the Women’s 100m Invitational B race.
Former World Champion Danielle Williams, Ackera Nugent and Yanique Thompson will contest the 100m hurdles against a tough field that will be led by World Championships silver medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico and Americans Masai Russell and Tia Jones.
Candice McLeod is down for the women’s 400m Pro where she faces American Courtney Okolo, while Ronda Whyte and Ashley Williams will run in another 400m race against Panama’s Gianna Woodruff and Americans Anna Cockrell and Jenna Prandini.
Rajindra Campbell became the first Jamaican man to throw over 22.00m in the shot put when he won at the recent Madrid Open and will be up against Joe Kovacs, who has gone over 23.00m as well as Darrell Hill and Roger Steen.
Lloydricia Cameron will contest the women’s shot put; Obrien Wasome is in the men’s triple jump and Chanice Porter in the women’s long jump.
Damion Thomas and Dejour Russell are down to contest the 110m hurdles; Michael Stephens and Debon Lysight will contest the men’s 100m B race; Demish Gaye is in the men’s 400m; Nataliah Whyte for the women’s 200m B race; Tyquendo Tracey is down for the Men’s 200m, while Aisha Praught-Leer will contest the women’s 3000m.