Arkansas alum Shafiqua Maloney clocked a meet record time of 2 minutes, 0.25 seconds during Thursday’s session at the 96th Texas Relays, breaking the record set by Razorback alum Crishauna Williams in 2017.
In a two-section 800m final, Maloney led the field through a 400m split of 58.44 and covered the second lap in 1:01.81. She bettered the meet record of 2:02.25 by two full seconds in her opening race of the outdoor season.
Maloney holds the national record for St. Vincent and the Grenadines with a 1:59.94 she set at the end of her 2023 season. This indoor season, she improved her national record to 1:58.69.
Houston’s Kelly-Ann Beckford was the top collegian in the 800m, placing second in 2:02.88. Razorback Sanu Jallow finished third in 2:03.66, which places her No. 6 on the UA all-time outdoor list. Ainley Erzen (2:10.12) and Analisse Batista (2:10.17) were 14th and 15th.
In the first section of the 800m, a crew of 400m sprinters and hurdlers training in Fayetteville raced. A close finish had Alexis Holmes (2:06.72) edging out Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight (2:06.88) as they placed sixth and eighth overall. Gianna Woodruff (2:15.13) and Anna Cockrell (2:15.17) also had a close finish.
KC wins third straight Championship of America 4x400m title at Penn Relays; JC wins 4x800m
Kingston College made it three Championship of America 4x400m titles in a row with a comfortable win in the event on the third and final day of the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Antonio Forbes, Amal Glasgow, Roshawn Lee and Marcinho Rose combined to run 3:11.86 to win ahead of Excelsior (3:12.94) and Bullis School (3:13.10).
Elsewhere, Jamaica College won their second Championship of America 4x800m relay in three years.
Their team of Nellie Amberton, Samuel Creary, Rasheed Pryce and Kemarrio Bygrave produced a time of 7:42.37 to win ahead of St. John’s College (7:44.66) and Central Bucks West (7:45.99).
Excelsior leads Jamaican 1-2-3 in Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m at Penn Relays
Excelsior High emerged victorious in the Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m on the third and final day at the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Ryeem Walker, Damor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green combined to run 40.45 to secure the school’s first win in the event since 1967.
Kingston College (Daniel Clarke, Yourie Lawrence-Clarke, Nyrone Wade, Marcinho Rose) were second in 40.53 and Herbert Morrison (Ky-Mani Hemmings, Tavaine Stewart, Chance Segree, De Andre Daley) completed a Jamaican 1-2-3 with 40.56 in third.
Smith produces season’s best to win long jump at Texas Invitational
Texas junior Ackelia Smith produced an NCAA leading performance to take top spot on day one of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday.
The 22-year-old reigning NCAA champion produced a season’s best 7.10m, her first jump over 7m this season, to win ahead of Trinidadian Puma athlete Tyra Gittens (6.72m) and UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6.65m).
This is a welcome return to form for Smith who suffered a torn hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.
Smith was Jamaica’s national champion in the long jump in 2022 and was a finalist in both the long and triple jump at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
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