Ackera Nugent
She is one of the fastest women in the world in the 100m hurdles but Ackera Nugent, the second-fastest Jamaican woman on the planet this year, is not considering turning professional just yet. According to the reigning World U20 champion, getting an education is among her goals and she still has unfinished business as a collegiate athlete.
Nugent, 20, who completed her sophomore year at Baylor University in May, ran a personal best of 12.45 at the Big 12 Championships in Lubbock, Texas on May 15.
The time, which she shares with Jamaican champion Britany Anderson, is the sixth-fastest in the world this year. Only Texas Tech’s Demisha Roswell’, who ran 12.44 to beat Nugent at the Big 12 Championships has run faster.
Notwithstanding, what is a significant accomplishment, Nugent is focused on completing her education at Baylor where she is majoring in Psychology.
“Basically, having an education with track is very important, so if I decide to go pro, I’d still be going to school but I have only ran 12.4 once and I haven’t run healthy, so I have decided that I should come back to college and focus on trying to get an outdoor NCAA title,” said the 2021 NCAA National Indoor champion.
Two years of college, she said, have been a great learning experience for her.
“It has taught me a lot. That I need to expect the unexpected, that you will have your highs and lows but you have to get up and do what you have to do, especially not having your family around you, your support system and when you have to put your trust in a coaching staff, a medical team,” she explained.
“It has helped me grow so much. I am more mature and Baylor is helping me grow into the amazing athlete that I think I am today.”
Nugent shut down her season in June after tearing her plantar fascia in regionals earlier this year. The decision saw her miss the NCAA Division I nationals in Oregon and also the Jamaica National Championships at the end of June.
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.
With Paris Olympics just over a year away, T&T multi-event athlete Tyra Gittens signs with Puma
Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Tyra Gittens has gone professional.
The 24-year-old Gittens announced on Instagram on Monday that has signed with Puma.
“Turning dreams into reality. I am proud to announce that I’m a new member of team Puma,” she said.
“The transition into my professional career was not smooth or easy but I have amazing people in my corner who rooted for me when I didn’t feel worthy of it. So excited to start this new chapter of my life.”
Gittens was an outstanding athlete while at Texas A&M University where she excelled at the heptathlon, high jump and long jump events.
In 2021 at SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she jumped 6.96m to place her inside the top 10 for the year so far and set Trinidad and Tobago records in Heptathlon 6418 points, high jump 1.95 m and long jump 6.96 m.
However, those 6418 points where just two points shy of the Olympic standard and caused her to miss 2020 Tokyo Olympics in that event.
However, she did qualify for the Olympics where she jumped 6.60m to finish 10th overall.
She struggled for form in 2022, when she jumped 6.27m for 11th place at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. She was also well below her best in the high jump clearing 1.76m for 14th place in the high jump.
At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon that year she only managed 6.44m for 19th place in the long jump.
She was fourth at the NACAC Senior Championships with her best effort of 6.25m.
Later that year, Gittens transferred from Texas A&M to University of Texas citing a need to shift her focus from the heptathlon to the long and high jump events.
“I don’t feel like I outgrew it because I still have a lot of things that I wanted to do in the hep and accomplish in the hep. But at the same time, you kind of have to feel your body. It’s a lot to do the hep, I’m not going to lie, and so I wanted to challenge myself in other ways,” said Gittens in a media interview in 2022.
Now, armed with her Puma contract, Gittens can now turn her focus to the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“My goals are not something you necessarily can write down. It’s more of a feeling and how I carry myself and how I adapt and how I push through all of the things that has led me here. I think that’s what my goal is for this year — to overcome a lot of things that the younger Tyra wouldn’t have been able to,” she said.
Nkrumie, Hibbert, Cole headline Jamaica squad for 2023 CARIFTA Games in Nassau
Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Jaydon Hibbert and Serena Cole headline the squad selected to represent Jamaica at the 50th edition of the CARIFTA Games scheduled for April 8-10 in Nassau, Bahamas.
Nkrumie will compete in the 100m after winning the event in 10.19 at Jamaica’s CARIFTA Trials held at the National Stadium earlier this month.
The 19-year-old ran a national junior record 10.02 for 100m silver at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali last year, a race won in a world junior record 9.91 by Botswanan sensation Letsile Tebogo.
Hibbert, an 18-year-old freshman at Arkansas University, won the NCAA Indoor triple jump title in Albuquerque in March with a magnificent 17.54m, a World Junior Record. He also won gold at the World U-20 Championships last year in a meet record 17.27m.
Cole will compete in both the long jump and the 100m in Nassau. She won the 100m at the CARIFTA Trials in an impressive 11.18 and was third in the long jump with 5.84m. She was also a silver medallist at the World U-20 Championships last year, running 11.14 to finish behind countrywoman Tina Clayton.
The full team is as follows:
Female U-17: Natrece East, Tiana Marshall, Shanoya Douglas, Rosalee Gallimore, Kevongaye Fowler, Kededra Coombs, Bryana Davidson, Camoy Binger, Rhianna Lewis, Sashana Johnson, Shanniqua Williams, Asia Mckay, Sabrina Atkinson, Dionjah Shaw, Shemonique Hazle, Breana Brown, Alikay Reynolds, Abigail Campbell.
Female U20: Serena Cole, Alana Reid, Carleta Bernard, Rickiann Russell, Kacian Powell, Kishay Rowe, Rickeisha Simms, Jody-Ann Mitchell, Kaydeen Johnson, Habiba Harris, Alexis James, Tonyan Beckford, Alliah Baker, Jade-Ann Dawkins, Deijanae Bruce, Cedricka Williams, Abigail Martin, Britannia Johnson, Britannie Johnson.
Male U-17: Tramaine Todd, Khamani Gordon, Donte Mendez, Dontae Watson, Kenrick Sharpe, Nickecoy Bramwell, Rasheed Pryce, Joel Morgan, Delano Todd, Tyrone Lawson, Kahiem Carby, Shakir Lewis, DeAndre Gayle, Demarco Bennett, Euan Young, Courtney Kinglock, Michael Neil, Joseph Salmon, Javontae Smith, Ronaldo Anderson.
Male U-20: Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, De Andre Daley, Malique Smith Band, Javorne Dunkley, Delano Kennedy, Jasauna Dennis, Kemarrio Bygrave, Ainsley Brown, Ainsley Campbell, Shaquane Gordon, Demario Prince, Roshawn Clarke, Antonio Forbes, Royan Walters, Brandon Pottinger, Chavez Penn, Jaydon Hibbert, Kobe Lawrence, Shaiquan Dunn, Tyreese Ebanks.
Management team: Chef De Mission: Maulton Campbell, Manager: Richard Thompson, Assistant Manager: Richard Thompson, Assistant Manager: Desrine Anderson, Technical Leader: David Riley, Doctor: Dr. Jason Dawson, Coach: Keilando Gobourn, Coach: Dave Anderson, Coach: Demar Gayle, Coach: Richard Smith, Coach: Kamille Ellis, Coach: Jeremy Deslliser, Massage Therapist: Orville Crawford.
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz hold Mexico to 2-2 draw but miss out on Concacaf Nations League final
Mexico and Jamaica played to a 2-2 draw in the final encounter in Group A of League A in the 2022–23 Concacaf Nations League at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico.
The tie assures Mexico the top spot in the group and a place in the Concacaf Nations League finals in June.
Jamaica goalkeeper Jahmali Waite started for the visitors and made a pivotal save early to deny Hector Moreno in the 6’, as the home side looked dangerous early on set pieces.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid placed the Reggae Boyz in the lead with a right-footed laser from outside the box in the 8’, marking his third international goal and first in a League A match.
The hosts responded shortly after as Orbelín Pineda pounced on a rebound inside the box in the 17’, tying the encounter at one apiece.
Jamaica regained the lead off a corner kick in the 33’ when the service from De Cordova-Reid bounced off the left thigh of Edson Álvarez for an own goal.
The match was temporarily suspended due to lightning in the 34’ and restarted as soon as conditions were deemed safe to resume.
After the restart, Hirving Lozano was denied by the top post in the 43’ as Mexico was inching closer to the tying goal.
Henry Martin was brought down inside the box by defender Ravel Morrison as Mexico earned a penalty in the first minute into injury time. Hirving Lozano converted in the 45'+2 to tie 2-2.
Luis Chavez attempted to test Waite from long range in the 54’ but the shot went just wide.
Guillermo Ochoa came up with a quick-witted save in the 57’ on a Jamaica corner headed by Shamar Nicholson.
Second half substitute Diego Laínez saw his own attempt denied by the woodwork in the 75’ as the home side continued to search for the victory.
Lozano nearly had his second of the night, and the potential game-winner, in second half injury time but the attempt was just inches from the far post.
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