Big performances were the order of the day at the 11th staging of Velocity Fest at the National Stadium at the weekend.

With the outdoor season kicking into full gear, the senior athletes take the spotlight after the conclusion of the Carifta Games last week.

And what promised to be an evening of good competition on Saturday turned out to be just that, with solid performances all around.

On the track, Candice McLeod of The University of the West Indies, Mona, picked up where she left off last season with a meet record of 51.20 seconds to win the Women’s 400-metre event. Both Janieve Russell (51.96s) of MVP Track Club and Ronda Whyte (52.26s) produced season best efforts for the respective second and third places.

In the men’s 400m, Zandrion Barnes of GC Foster College lowered his personal best from 45.99s to 45.69s to win in a new meet record as well. Anthony Cox of Racers ran a season best 45.84s for second, while Demish Gaye of SprinTec was third in 46.19s.

The great Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce made her highly anticipated season debut in the women’s 200m, finishing second in 22.79s, behind Anthonique Strachan, who ran a season best 22.55s to win. Natasha Morrison was third in 23.06s.

Antonio Watson, who is one year removed from high school and now trains at Racers Track Club, continues to show improvement and delivered a solid 20.56 (1.3m/s) to win the men’s 200m. He was followed by Kishane Thompson, who was second in a personal best 20.92, and Andel Miller third in 20.97.

Olympic champion Hansle Parchment got the season opener he desired with a 13.20s clocking to win the men’s 110m hurdles, while Rasheed Broadbell, who was the breakout athlete last season before he got injured, was second in 13.31s. There was a personal best for former Calabar High School standout Michael O’Hara, who was third in 13.52s.

Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper cruised to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles in a meet record 12.80s, while the returning Crystal Morrison produced a personal best 13.02s for second. There was a season best effort from Amoi Brown, who was third in 13.33s.

Remona Burchell continued her long journey back from injuries to win the women’s 100m in a smart 11.13s, her season’s best time. Jodean Williams had a season best effort of 11.51s in finishing second, while Krystal Sloley produced 11.74 for third, also her season’s best effort.

The men’s 100m final, which was the last track event of the evening, was run in three sections. Ackeem Blake, who continues to improve, delivered a personal best 10.08s (1.3m/s) to win ahead of former world champion Yohan Blake, who was second in 10.11s, (1.3m/s). Emanuel Archibald, who won Section B, was third overall in a personal best 10.18s (1.1m/s), this after winning the men’s long jump earlier in the evening.

The men’s high jump was won by Lushane Wilsonof GC Foster, who cleared a meet record 2.16m to beat Raymond Richards of MVP 2.05m, while both Kymani Thomas of St Jago and Christoff Bryan of MVP had no clearances at the opening height of 2.0m.

Emanuel Archibald of Ricketts Performance won the men’s long jump in a negative wind with 7.59m (-0.5m/s), while Adrian Riley was second with 7.55m (-0.8m/s), and Shawn-D Thompson of SprinTec, with 7.39m (-0.8m/s), was third.

O’Dayne Richards of MVP won the men’s shot put with 19.03m, Kobe Lawrence of Calabar High was second with 17.32m, and Brandon Gayle of St Jago High third with 16.26m.

Tissanna Hickling continues to put her season together and won the women’s long jump with 6.49m (1.3m/s), while Jodian Stewart, with 5.94m (1.5m/s), was second and Melissa Walker, 5.46 (1.1m/s), was third.

Olympian Shadae Lawrence, who threw a meet record 62.36m to win the women’s discus, was ahead of Samantha Hall, who was second with 54.68m, and Shamella Donaldson, who produced a season’s best 50.65m for third.

Elvis Graham won the men’s javelin with 69.72m, Devon Spencer was second with 64.53, and Zaavan Richards was third with 60.72m.

Shanieka Ricketts won the women’s triple jump with 13.95m (1.4m/s). Rihanna Lugg was second with 11.85m (1.5m/s) and Dayshanae Hall, with 11.68m (1.8m/s), was third. Jordon Scott won the men’s equivalent with a meet record 16.04m (0.9m/s), Tevin Dunn was second with 15.34m, while Chevaughn Parkinson had a season’s best 14.43 (0.8m/s) for third.