Lamara Distin (left) and Romaine Backford.
file
Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford of Arkansas Razorbacks successfully defended his high jump crown at the NCAA Indoor Championships when he soared to a personal best-equalling 2.27m in Boston, on Saturday.
Beckford, who won with a height of 2.24m last year while competing for University of South Florida, has enjoyed good form this season, and he once again displayed with the winning leap, which not only equalled the Collegiate leading mark, but also bettered the Facilities Record of 2.26m set by India’s Tejaswin Shankar last year.
However, the winning leap came on his third attempt after he earlier had a failure at 2.21m. The 21-year-old, who is the first Arkansas winner of the event since 1998, also made an attempt at the Olympic qualifying mark of 2.33m.
Caleb Snowden (2.24m) of University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kansas University’s Devin Loudermilk (2.21m) were the runners-up.
Former St George’s College standout Zayne Palomino of Southern Miss University was joint fifth at 2.18m.
Meanwhile, another in-form Jamaican Lamara Distin of Texas A&M University was beaten in the women’s event, clearing 1.97m.
She was bettered by Arkansas’ Rachel Glenn, who won with 2.00m, equalling Distin’s college record and also erasing the meet record of 1.98m, which was set by Destinee Hooker of Texas in 2009.
Elena Kulichenko (1.91m) of University of Georgia was third. Another Jamaican in the lineup, Roschell Clayton of Villanova, equalled her personal best 1.88m to finish sixth in her first NCAA finals event.
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.
Hydel wins third Championship of America 4x400m title in a row at Penn Relays
Hydel High successfully defended their Championship of America 4x400m title on day two of the 128th Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.
The quartet of Alliah Baker, Jody-Ann Daley, Nastassia Fletcher and Abigail Campbell combined to run 3:34.78 to win ahead of Bullis School (3:35.17) and Union Catholic (3:41.75).
Hydel captain Alliah Baker reacted to her second gold medal of the meet.
“I am not shocked but I’m very excited. This is my last year and I’m very happy to finish my last year with two gold medals,” she said.
Hydel have now won this event three straight times and five times in the last six years.
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