Rising star Adeajah Hodge and Olympic and World Champion Steven Gardiner emerged triumphant in their respective events at the two-day 2023 Florida Relays that concluded at the Percy Beard Track Field in Gainesville on Saturday.
With the CARIFTA Games just around the corner, 16-year-old Hodge, the defending U17 Girls sprint-double champion, showed that she will enter competition for the British Virgin Islands in good form after running away with the 100m dash.
On Friday, the Montverde Academy Junior clocked 11.26 to win with daylight between her and McKenzie Travis of Evangelical Christian who finished in 11.47. Travis had to fight hard to hold off a fast-finishing Cynteria James, who was third in 11.49.
Also, on Friday, the outstanding Bahamian Gardiner, who missed the 2022 World Championships with injury, signaled a return to good health and form, clocking a fast 20.14 to win the 200m by some distance over Trevor Bassitt (20.53) and Matthew Hudson Smith (20.56).
It was Gardiner’s fourth-fastest time over 200m.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, former Texas A&M standout Charokee Young, in her first season as a professional was the runner-up in the 400m Olympic development race beaten by Gabby Scott who clocked 51.24.
Young, who’s high school, Hydel won the Girls’ title at the 2023 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships in her home country of Jamaica, was a close second in 51.31.
Stephanie Davis was third in 51.87.
Her compatriot, Jelani Walker was also a runner-up, this time in the 100m dash that was won by American teen sensation Erriyon Knighton, who clocked a slightly windy 9.98 for the victory.
Walker was on his shoulder clocking 10.01 while the talented Joseph Fahnbulleh was third in 10.04.
Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson was fourth in 10.05.
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.
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.
Paulino extends 400m winning streak to seven in Shanghai
Dom Rep’s Marileidy Paulino followed up her triumph at the season’s Diamond League opener in Xiamen last week with another victory at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
The reigning World champion produced 50.89 to win ahead of American Talitha Diggs who ran 51.77 and Bajan two-time World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams who ran 52.00 in third.
Paulino’s winning streak in the 400m has now stretched to seven races.
It was déjà vu in the women’s 100m hurdles as reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn just pipped World Indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton on the line, just as it played out in Xiamen last week.
Camacho-Quinn ran 12.63 compered to Charlton’s 12.64. Two-time World champion Danielle Williams was third in 12.74.
The men’s 110m hurdles saw American Daniel Roberts get his second win in a row to kick off the Diamond League season. His winning time was 13.12, comfortably ahead of Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya (13.23) and Olympic champion Hansle Parchment’s season’s best 13.26.
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