Jamaica’s presence was strongly felt on Thursday during the women’s 100m hurdles at the NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, Florida, where Habiba Harris, Janela Spencer, and Oneka Wilson all secured spots in the next round of competition.

Habiba Harris, a freshman at the University of Florida, continued her outstanding debut season with a commanding performance in Heat 2, clocking 12.80 seconds with a +1.1 m/s tailwind—the fastest time of the day—to win her heat and move on automatically. Harris, who has steadily improved throughout the spring, demonstrated poise well beyond her years as she held off a competitive field to lead all qualifiers.

Ohio State junior Janela Spencer also delivered when it mattered, winning Heat 4 in a new personal best of 12.97 seconds (+1.8), becoming one of only six women to dip under 13 seconds on the day. Spencer, who had shown signs of this form earlier in the season, executed flawlessly from the blocks to grab an automatic qualifying spot.

Clemson’s Oneka Wilson, another Jamaican standout, grabbed the second automatic qualifying spot in the same heat as Spencer, finishing in 13.05 seconds (+1.8). It was just one-thousandth of a second behind Indiana State’s Rachel Mehringer, who ran the same time but in a different heat. Wilson's consistency and composure were crucial in navigating the high-stakes opening round.

The trio now advance to the quarterfinal round, where they will look to secure a coveted top-12 finish to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The next round of the women’s 100m hurdles is set for Saturday, May 25, as competition intensifies and the field narrows on the road to nationals.