Track Coach Omar Hawse believes the Legacy Athletics is beginning its journey as a track club with one of the best group of athletes any club in Jamaica has ever started with.
Hawse, who has been coaching for more than 15 years, made the pronouncement at the launch of Jamaica’s newest track club earlier today.
Legacy was formed by Calabar High School with its leaders being part of the school’s hierarchy. Karl B Johnson, board chairman at Calabar is the club’s chairman while Principal Albert Corcho is a director.
The club boasts the likes of 2011 World Championship silver medalist Jura Levy, Deuce Carter, and Roneisha McGregor as well as a cadre of talented athletes on the rise including Dejour Russell, Crystal Morrison, Michael Bentley, Tyreke Wilson, Anthony Carpenter, Amoi Brown and Michael O’Hara.
“Our organization has been blessed with a group of athletes that – when I did my research – not even the three leading clubs in Jamaica, has got a chance to start with such a great group of athletes,” Hawse said.
“We are indeed blessed at Legacy.”
Hawse said he and the other coaches at the club, Ynick Morrison, Nicholas Neufville and Craig Sewell, are committed to helping each of these athletes achieve their maximum potential.
“As coaches, we continue to improve on our craft and give each and every athlete the attention needed to be at their best and to attain their best in representing their country, family and friends,” he said.
“We are doing our best to help them realize their dreams by paying keen attention to each and every aspect of their physical, emotional and psychological development.”
Legacy also intends to do more; much more, according to its President and CEO Andrea Hardware, who announced that Legacy will also offer athlete representation as well as personal professional development.
“Permit me to say two sentences about our personal development portfolio. Included in the portfolio are interventions to address the formal education of all of our clients through scholarships,” she said.
“The development of their mental fortitude, tools to help them make better choices about their nutrition and lifestyle as sportsmen and women and building their individual brands for sustainability. Our intention is to be very deliberate in helping our clients achieve success and to begin to think beyond their playing days.
“In fact, research has revealed that people like Usain Bolt and Michael Jordan are making more money now than they were while they were playing.”
The club’s website says Legacy Athletics believes that Jamaica has too rich a sporting heritage to squander and aims to be a conduit and to provide a framework for young women and men bestowed with special athletic talent to attain their highest potential.
“In so doing we will be playing our part in minimizing the number of young persons who fall through the cracks of our traditional educational and socio-economic systems,” it said.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Ricketts opens season with 14.50m to win triple jump at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts provided her home fans with a solid performance to win the women’s triple jump at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
The two-time World Championships silver medallist produced a best jump of 14.50m on her first attempt that proved to be enough to win in the end.
American Jasmine Moore had a best jump of 14.28m for second while Dominican World Indoor Champion Thea Lafond jumped 14.22m in the sixth and final round to clinch third.
“I feel exceptional. I usually get started with my season much earlier but this year we decided to get a few things corrected before coming into competition,” Ricketts said following the competition.
“Competing with world class athletes who have been doing well indoors as well really pushed me and gave me a good implication of where I’m at this season,” she added.
The 2022 Commonwealth Champion also spoke on competing in Jamaica.
“It’s always a pleasure to compete in Kingston. Usually, I try to do a meet here before going overseas to compete in the Diamond League. The crowd has warmed up to the jumps because of how well I’ve been doing overseas over the years. I’m always grateful for the support,” she said.
Great Britain’s Hughes, Asher-Smith get 200m victories at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith took victories in the men’s and women’s 200m events at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Hughes, a bronze medallist in the 100m at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, produced a season’s best 19.96 to win ahead of American Fred Kerley (20.17) and France’s Pablo Mateo (20.20).
“I feel really good. I think this is my second 200m race of the season. When I opened up I wasn’t ready so tonight I was just testing out the waters. We’re starting to sharpen up but not as much because it’s a long season,” Hughes said after the race.
“To run 19.96 now, I’m very happy. I just need to stay healthy and continue to execute my races accordingly and everything will be okay,” he added.
2019 World Champion Asher-Smith narrowly won the women’s event in 22.51 ahead of the Ivory Coast’s Jessika Gbai (22.53) with Jamaica’s Lanae-Tava Thomas running 22.84 for third.
Asher-Smith says she was hoping for a quicker time and has some things to work on.
“I’m in really good shape so I was hoping to get a quicker time today. Clearly, I’ve got some stuff that I’ve got to work on so I’m going to go back to Austin and work on them but I’m happy to have won here in Jamaica,” she said.
USA’s Holmes, Great Britain’s Hudson-Smith win 400m races at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
American Alexis Holmes and great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith emerged as the winners of the women’s and men’s 400m races at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Holmes, a member of the USA’s gold medal-winning mixed relay team at the World Championships in Budapest last year and the World Relays this year in Nassau, ran 50.31 to lead an American 1-2-3 with Brittany Brown running 51.21 in second and Naasha Robinson running 51.81 in third.
“I had a lot of fun. The energy was great,” Holmes said after the race.
“I was expecting a smooth race and just trying to get the win. I just try to stay relaxed and poised because I know I have a strong finish,” she added.
The men’s race saw World Championship silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith produce 44.69 to take the win ahead of American Matthew Boling (44.98) and Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes (45.41).
“I’m a lot more healthier this year. I’ve got the best team in the world. My coach Gary Evans is a man with a plan and this year it’s all about being healthy when it matters,” he said after the race.
“It was a good executed race. We just wanted to come home strong and be composed. I’ve got Oslo, Europeans, Monaco and London so I’ve got a lot more races and training,” he added.
The Brit also gave props to World Champion Antonio Watson who ran 45.61 for fifth.
“Listen, he’s the reigning World Champion so I’ve got to give him respect. He came out here in front of his people and raced. He delivered when it mattered,” he said.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
