FSU
Former Kingston College standout Jhevaughn Matherson is finally healthy and ready to make a return to form in 2023.
The 24-year-old, now training at the Racers Track Club in Kingston, burst onto the scene all the way back in 2013 when he sped to a smooth then-Class 3 100m record 10.85 to win gold at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium.
His high school career, despite including some bright spots, was plagued by injuries after that 2013.
In 2019, Matherson moved on to Florida State University (FSU) in the USA and had a decent first season where he reduced his 100m personal best to 10.24. The next three years, however, followed the same pattern as his high school career with several nagging injuries as well as an achilles injury that required surgery.
Now back home, Matherson says he is healthy and working on a comeback.
“Right now, I’m healthy and working hard on the return,” Matherson told SportsMax.TV.
“I expect big things so fans should expect big things as well. I’ve been working really hard so I’m just waiting on the right time to show that work,” he added.
As it relates to his history of injuries, Matherson says that is a thing of the past.
“Definitely!” said Matherson.
“The main issue was strength and I’m working on that. I had an achilles injury that required surgery and I’m completely over that as well,” he added.
Expected to compete in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix on June 3rd, Matherson also gave his opinion on the state of the men’s 100m in Jamaica at the moment.
“It should be exciting. There is a lot of quality and I expect great things this season and beyond,” he said.
The sprinter, who will graduate from FSU next month, also expressed gratitude for his time abroad.
“Definitely thankful for the lessons learned along the way. I’ve learned a lot about track and field from being overseas and I’ve been able to implement it while making my return home,” he said.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
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.
Edwin Allen second in Champions of America girls’ 4x800m as Union Catholic sets National Record
Edwin Allen had to settle for second position in the Championships of America high school girls’ 4x800m, as they were soundly beaten by New Jersey-based favourites Union Catholic in the final on day two of the 128th Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.
Not only did Union Catholic defend their title, but the team of Jimmiea King, Peyton Hollis, Sophia Thompson, and Paige Sheppard did so in emphatic fashion, clocking a National Record of 8:41.20. They lowered the previous mark of 8:43.12 set in 2008 by Roosevelt.
Edwin Allen’s quartet of Tanesia Gardiner, Monique Stewart, Kevongaye Fowler, and Rickeisha Simms, gave a credible effort in second at 8:50.76, while Virginia-based South Lakes (8:50.8), were third.
The other Jamaican schools, Holmwood Technical (8:58.94) and Alphansus Davis (9:13.83), placed fifth and ninth respectively.
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