Arkansas superstar freshman Jaydon Hibbert has been named as the US Track and Field and Cross- Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Male National Athlete of the Week.

The 18-year-old Jamaican demolished the World U20 record as well as the collegiate outdoor record in the triple jump this past weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championships when he produced a wind-legal 17.87m on his second attempt.

That added nearly one foot to the previous collegiate record of 17.57m, set by Keith Connor of SMU back in 1982.

Hibbert is now the holder of both the indoor and outdoor collegiate triple jump records. He shattered the collegiate indoor record in a winning effort at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March when he jumped 17.54m.

Tarees Rhoden has come away from the ACC Outdoor Championships in Raleigh, North Carolina confident in what is to unfold for the remainder of the season. The 800m runner won the 400m in 45.60 finishing ahead of his Clemson University teammate, fellow Jamaican D’Andre Anderson, who ran 45.89.

Rhoden would finish eighth in the 800m but the single point was just as important as the 10 he picked up in the 400m as Clemson scored 92 points, one more Florida State University, to claim the men's conference title.

It should be noted that the 800m final was run about 30 minutes after the 400m final so the former Kingston College runner was not so much focused on winning but simply finishing. The 400m was the focus, he said.

“Conference is more of a team effort and not a single event performance,” he explained afterwards. “The rest time was fairly short due to weather warnings but I wasn’t worried about winning the 800 but to more score points.”

Winning the 400m was a nice bonus in more ways than one. Not only did he get crucial points for Clemson but it was also a massive personal best, a 0.5s improvement on the 46.12 he ran in April. It was also a good platform for him to go for faster times in his chosen event.

This is my third 400 this season if you count the heats. I am not a strategic 400 runner but I just ran and gave my all,” he said.

“Running the 400 wasn’t an ideal plan but we did it and we got great results from it moving forward and settling back for the 800. Big things are guaranteed.”

Minnesota’s Kion Benjamin ran a swift 10.18 to win the 100m title at the Big 10 Championships on Sunday in Bloomington, Indiana.

The 22-year-old Trinidadian secured first place ahead of Wisconsin’s Lawrence Johnson (10.22) and his Minnesota teammate and fellow Trinidadian, Carlon Hosten (10.22).

Jamaican Ohio State senior Yanique Dayle was third in the Women’s equivalent in 11.19. The event was taken by her teammate Leah Bertrand in 11.15 while Minnesota’s Amira Young ran 11.15 for second.

Dayle went two better in the 200m, running 22.87 to win ahead of Michigan’s Ziyah Holman (23.08) while 100m runner-up Young was third in 23.09.

Minnesota’s 19-year-old Trinidadian sophomore, Devin Augustine, ran 20.45 for third in the Men’s equivalent behind Iowa’s Austin Kresley (20.26) and 100m third-place finisher Carlon Hosten (20.43).

Jamaican Ohio State sophomore, Zidane Brown, ran 45.75 for second in the Men’s 400m behind Iowa’s Jenoah Mckiver (45.59). Michigan’s Dubem Amene ran 46.20 for third.

In the field, Nebraska’s Lotavia Brown took the Women’s triple jump in 13.33m ahead of Ohio State’s Jaimie Robinson (13.24m) and Michigan’s Riley Ammenhauser (13.07m)

Jaydon Hibbert, the University of Arkansas' SEC Freshman of the Year and reigning World U20 champion, has set the bar high for his competitors after an outstanding performance in the men’s triple jump at the SEC Championships last weekend. Hibbert believes that despite his world-leading 17.87m jump, his best is yet to come this season.

 Speaking after his remarkable performance at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rogue, Hibbert revealed that his target for the meet was nowhere close to what he eventually unleashed.  “The mark that I came out here with was 17.4/17.5 at max,” he said. “When I saw the 17.8, I just said ‘Okay, that’s it for me today,’ It’s all about trusting the process. God has shown me in plenty ways that I am talented. I am obviously favored. I do put in the hard work, but I have to give this one to God because I don’t think there is any 18-year-old that does the stuff that I do.”

 Hibbert, who also set a World U20 and NCAA Indoor record of 17.54m this season, believes that he needs to stop putting limits on himself. “I am going to reset, refocus, get ready for regionals. I don’t even know if I’m going to peak until World Champs because I am not even at my peak right now and I am already close to 18m, so I am just going to go back to the drawing board, see what Coach Travis Geopfert says, just have fun and take it from there,” he said.

 The 18-year-old’s jump is six centimeters farther than the previous world lead of 17.81m set by Burkina Faso's Hugues Fabrice Zango on May 5, and is also a World U20, NCAA, and Facility record. Hibbert's jump is the second-best jump ever by a Jamaican, trailing James Beckford’s national record of 17.92m set in Odessa, Texas in May 1995, by a mere five centimeters.

Despite his success, Hibbert is remaining humble, stating, “That’s a mark amongst the greats. I am just an 18-year-old that started the event like three years ago, so, I don’t even know what to say. It’s still soaking in at this point.” However, his competitors will have to contend with the prodigious young athlete, who is likely to make his debut as not only a medal contender but a gold medal contender at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Julien Alfred was crowned 2023 Big 12 Outdoor 100m champion on Sunday after winning the blue-ribbon dash in 10.84, a new facility record.

Alfred was part of a Texas 1-2-3 as Kevona Davis and Ezinne Abba were second and third, respectively in 11.04s. Davis, however, was clocked at 11.031 to Abba’s 11.035.

Aldred copped a second gold medal when she teamed up with Davis, Abba, and Rhasidat Adekele to win the 4x100m relay in 41.89. The time was a new collegiate, Big 12 and Facility record.

Baylor was a distant second in 43.75. They just managed to hold off Oklahoma that finished third in 43.84.

Bahamian Terrence Jones finished second in the men’s equivalent in a time of 10.08, the same time as his Texas Tech teammate of Courtney Lindsay. Lindsay clocked 10.076 to Jones’ 10.080.

Marcellus Moore of Texas ran 10.17 for third place.

Jones would later anchor Texas Tech to victory in the men’s 4x100m in a new Big 12 and facility record 38.24. It was also the fastest time in the NCAA this season. Texas and Baylor ran 38.89 and 39.12 for second and third, respectively.

Meanwhile, Texas Tech’s Demisha Roswell, successfully defended her 100m hurdles title but was not nearly as fast as she was last season when she ran 12.44 to hold off a game Ackera Nugent who was then at Baylor University.

Roswell, who is in her final year at Texas Tech, clocked 13.02 to end her collegiate career as Big 12 champion.  Kaylyn Hall of Iowa State finished the race in 13.17 for second place while Roswell’s teammate Naomi Krebbs clocked 13.33 for third place.

Roswell was also a member of the Texas Tech sprint relay team that finished fourth in 43.85.

Arkansas’s Jaydon Hibbert and Roje Stona as well as Texas A&M’s Lamara Distin all secured wins on the third and final day of the 2023 SEC Outdoor Championships at LSU on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Hibbert was easily the star of the day. The 2022 World Junior Champion produced an incredible personal best of 17.87m to take the Men’s triple jump crown ahead of Arkansas teammate Ryan Brown (16.43m) and Alabama's Christian Edwards (16.22m).

Hibbert opened the competition with a 17.02m effort before throwing down the biggest jump of his career so far in the second round. As he has done for most of the season to preserve his legs, he passed on his next four attempts.

Hibbert’s mark is also a new collegiate record, world lead and world junior record and puts him in a three-way tie for 13^th on the all-time list.

Earlier in the day, Stona, also of Arkansas, produced a personal best 68.64m, the second furthest throw in collegiate history, to win the Men’s discus ahead of teammate and countryman Ralford Mullings (62.00) and Alabama’s Alan de Falchi (61.82m).

Distin continued her unbeaten run in the high jump this season with a 1.91m clearance to win ahead of Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko (1.88m) and Tennessee’s Cheyla Scott (1.85m).

On the track, Arkansas’s Ackera Nugent ran a personal best 12.43 for second in the Women’s 100m hurdles behind LSU’s Alia Armstrong’s 12.40. Kentucky’s Masai Russell was third in 12.47.

Another Jamaican Arkansas athlete, Phillip Lemonious, was second in the Men’s 110m hurdles in 13.63 behind Tennessee’s Devon Brooks (13.53). Another Tennessee athlete, Cayman’s Rasheem Brown, was third in 13.64.

Texas’s Ackelia Smith continued her excellent 2023 season with a personal best 7.08m for victory at the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships at John Jacobs Field in Oklahoma on Saturday.

The 21-year-old had jumps of 6.74m and 6.61m in the first two rounds before jumping out to her massive new personal best and world leading jump in the third. She subsequently passed on her next three jumps.

Oklahoma’s Pippi Lotta Enok produced 6.65m for second while Kansas State’s Shalom Olotu jumped 6.41 for third.

On the track, St. Lucians had an excellent day. First, Kansas’s Michael Joseph ran a personal best 44.77 to advance fastest into the men’s 400m final. Texas’s Jonathan Jones also advanced to the final with 45.70.

Then, Texas’s 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Julien Alfred, produced 10.74, albeit with a 3.4m/s wind, to advance fastest to the women’s 100m final.

Texas also had the second and third fastest qualifiers to the women’s 100m final through Kevona Davis (10.93) and Ezinne Abba (10.93).

Bahamian Terrence Jones ran 10.35 to advance third fastest in the men’s equivalent.

The 100m hurdles saw Jamaican Texas Tech senior Demisha Roswell advance fastest with 12.92.

Roswell’s Bahamian Texas Tech teammate, Antoine Andrews, ran 13.57 to advance in the men’s 110m hurdles.

Olympic and World triple jump champion, Mike Conley Sr, has described Jamaican Arkansas freshman Jaydon Hibbert as “special” and said he was “born for the sport.”

Conley Sr, the 60-year-old Arkansas alum who won Olympic gold in 1992 in Barcelona with a wind-aided 18.17m jump as well as a World Championship title in Stuttgart with a 17.86m effort a year later, was speaking in an interview on his alma mater’s Instagram page on Saturday.

“He’s special. I got a chance to see him when they recruited him. I saw some video of him from the World Juniors and got a chance to meet him and talk to him. He’s a way better jumper than I ever was technique-wise. It took me almost a lifetime to look like he looks as a freshman so he’s a special guy,” said Conley Sr.

At those World Juniors in Cali in 2022, Hibbert produced a personal best and championship record 17.27m to take gold.

“It’s amazing. When I saw him at the juniors I just said ‘wow.’ For his form and technique to be advanced as it is, he was born to do it and he puts in the work on top of it. That’s usually the recipe for greatness,” said Conley Sr.

Hibbert has enjoyed an excellent debut season at Arkansas. The 18-year-old has, so far, gone unbeaten in three competitions indoors and two outdoors.

At the NCAA Indoor championships in Albuquerque in March, Hibbert made history with a leap of 17.54m, a new World Under-20 record, to win the title. Hibbert’s jump also broke Conley Sr’s collegiate record 17.40m.

Outdoors, he followed up a gold medal at the Carifta Games in Nassau on April 10 with a 17.17m effort to win at the LSU Invitational on April 29.

He is also a heavy favorite to win the title at the SEC Outdoor Championships which are currently being held at LSU.

“He seems humble, eager to learn and he works hard. Like I said, that’s a good recipe for success,” Conley Sr added.

Conley Sr’s personal best 17.87, done in June 1987, places him 13^th on the all-time list for the event.

Jamaican Arkansas junior Wayne Pinnock produced a personal best 8.37m to successfully defend his South East Conference (SEC) Championship long jump title at Louisiana State University (LSU) on Friday.

The 22-year-old, who jumped 8.05 to win the SEC title last year, also produced jumps of 8.15m and 8.02m in his series on Friday. His winning jump puts him number two in the world currently behind India’s Jeswin Aldrin (8.42m) and is the World Championships qualifying standard.

Pinnock’s countryman and Arkansas teammate, Carey McLeod, produced 8.14m for second while Mississippi State’s Cameron Crump was third with a best jump of 8.00m.

Bahamian Kentucky freshman Anthaya Charlton produced a personal best 6.74m for second in the women’s equivalent behind Florida star Jasmine Moore, who jumped 6.88 for victory. Moore’s teammate, Claire Bryant, was third with 6.68m.

On the track, Arkansas’s Ackera Nugent advanced to the finals of both the 100m and 100m hurdles.

The Jamaican ran 12.49 to advance third fastest in the 100m hurdles and returned to run 11.16 to advance third fastest in the 100m.

Anthaya Charlton, the runner-up in the long jump, produced another personal best, 11.11, to advance to the 100m final as well. Tennessee’s Jacious Sears advanced fastest with 11.08.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has confirmed her withdrawal from the Kip Keino Classic on Saturday where she was down to compete in her first race of the season.

Sportsmax.TV reported earlier that reports from Kenya had indicated that the five-time world 100m champion and 2023 Laureus Sportswoman of the Year had suffered an injury in training and consequently withdrew from the meet.

The Jamaican track star has now confirmed the development on social media.

“Due to discomfort during my warm up, I am deeply disappointed that I will not be competing at the Jip Keino Classic and have departed Kenya to seek treatment,” she posted on Facebook.

“Special appreciation to the event organizers and the Kenyan community. Thank you for your prayers and continued support.”

Earlier reports said she has flown to Italy to seek specialized treatment.

This will be the second delay to the start of Fraser-Pryce’s season. In April, she announced her withdrawal from the Botswana Golden Grand Prix citing a “family emergency”.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has withdrawn from the Saturday’s Kip Keino Classic after suffering a knee injury while training on Thursday, according to reports emerging from Kenya.

The 36-year-old Jamaican was expected to open her season in the 100m at the meet where she ran a then world-leading 10.67s. She arrived in Kenya earlier this week after winning the 2023 Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award on Monday.

However, according to Sports Brief, the three-time Olympic gold medallist suffered the injury while training and has left the country to seek specialized treatment in Italy.

Fraser-Pryce missed the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 29 citing a 'family emergency.'

World championship silver medalist Britnay Anderson is set to miss the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest this summer after suffering a recent injury in training at her base in Italy.

Sources indicate that the 22-year-old Anderson suffered the injury after falling over a hurdle and damaged a ligament in her left knee. While the injury is serious, Anderson, who is currently wearing a knee brace, is expected to make a full recovery.

The forlorn Anderson confirmed the sad news on her Instagram account on Thursday.

"The beauty of sport and life is in its ups and downs - in its wins and losses. We cannot possibly understand the beauty of the highest mountain peak without climbing from the depths of the valley," she said.

"That being said, these past few weeks have been personally challenging for me as I've had to deal with a significant injury to my knee. Unfortunately, I will be sitting out this season just to make sure I get the best recovery possible.

"The good news is that I will make a full recovery. The prognosis from my medical team is nothing short of 100 per cent positive. I am working very hard to make that a reality over the coming weeks. I am truly diving into this process, learning a huge amount along the way and I am thankful for the support I have received from all corners."

She added that the injury has allowed her to see just how much she embraces her sport.

"This setback has allowed me to re-evaluate my relationship with track and field. What I have found is that I have fallen in love with this sport to a level I never thought possible," said the elite hurdler who also thanked her coach, management team and sponsor, Puma, for their support during this difficult period in her life.

"I hope that this passion can inspire those of you out there who are lucky enough to have been following my life and career to climb your own mountains no matter how high and how steep. The peak will truly show you the limitlessness of your own possibility."

Anderson, Jamaica’s reigning national champion, set a new national record of 12.31 in the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July, 2022. She ran a wind-aided 12.23 in the final to win the silver medal behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who ran 12.06 (w) in the final.

Amusan ran the world record 12.12 in the semi-final.

Anderson has been among Jamaica’s shining lights in recent years, setting world records at the junior level. She won silver at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland in 2018. She was expected to be among the contenders for medals at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Spanish Town Primary were crowned champions of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Athletics Championship after seeing off Naggo Head Primary and Greater Portmore Primary in a thrilling three-way battle to the line at the GC Foster College in St. Catherine.

Spanish Town amassed 313.50 points as after winning the final two 4x200m relays, emerged 10 points clear of a fighting Naggo Head Primary on 303 with dethroned champions Greater Portmore Primary finishing third with 273 after fading a bit in the latter stages.

St Catherine Primary finished fourth on 110 points with Jericho Primary surprised many with their fifth-placed finish on 98 points. Angels (90), St John’s Primary (77), Homestead Primary (49), Kensington Primary (36) and Bridgeport (35) completed the top 10.

It was a much-improved display from Spanish Town Primary that finished third last year with 225 points, 125 behind Greater Portmore. Having turned it around they walked away with JMD$ $250,000 winning prize.

Naggo Head which led seven points at the start of the final day and held a lead for most of the day, were awarded JMD$200,000 while third-placed Greater Portmore got $150,000. The teams finishing fourth to 10th each get $75,000.

Jevaney Findlay (Spanish Town), Zandane Banton (Greater Portmore) and Mercadco Williams were the Overall Champion Boys with 18 points each. While four girls, Shanice Williams (Greater Portmore), Moesha McLaren, Sarah McDonald (Naggo Head) and Jamilia Alves (Spanish Town), were named Overall Champion Girls.

Each girl also scored 18 points.

Principal Roogae Kirlew, principal of Spanish Town Primary, praised his team and the coaching staff for the extra effort this year fueled by the additional sponsorships.

“I am very, very happy,” he said.

“We have put a lot of work into it and I must thank my PE department and I must name the coach and the parents because we actually camped out this year and put proper nutrition in place for our runners this time around.”

With two of the three regional championships decided with Lyssons Primary of St Thomas winning the Eastern Championship and St Catherine’s Spanish Town the Central champions, the focus now turns to the Western Championship which starts on Thursday (May 11) at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and concludes on Saturday.

Sixteen teams have already qualified for the National Championship set for May 25-27 and another eight teams will earn spots from the Western Championship.

Lyssons Primary are the defending National champions.

Fresh off winning her first-ever Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award on Monday, five-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday eager to get her season going at the Kip Keino Classic this coming weekend.

The two-time Olympic 100m gold medallist was slated to begin her season at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 29, but withdrew citing a ‘family emergency’, the details of which remain a mystery. However, with the emergency hopefully behind her, the 36-year-old track and field star, said she keen on seeing where she is at this season.

“I am just looking forward to just competing well. I have not run since September last year and it’s a different year so you kind of want to see where you’re at as opposed to last year when I ran a 200m in Kingston before I came here; this time I didn’t run anything so this is me just coming to see where I’m at and having a good time and execute and I am sure it will be fantastic,” said Fraser-Pryce who ran a world-leading 10.67 at the 2022 edition.

Fraser-Pryce, who at 35 won her fifth world 100m title in Eugene, Oregon last summer to become the oldest female ever to win a global sprint title, said she believes she in great shape heading into the meet on Saturday but was quick to temper expectations on what she will deliver on Saturday.

“I am feeling good, to be honest, I’m feeling 21, which is good,” she joked, “but no two years are ever the same so you continue to work and trust that whatever things that you correct in training or things that you are working on that you would come and execute those things and it will all come together.

“But last year, it’s just to build on that, build on the experiences and the moments that I had last year into this year.”

Naggo Head Primary assumed the lead on the penultimate day of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Athletics Central Championship amassing 94 points after 10 finals and holds a seven point advantage over defending champion Greater Portmore Primary with 87 points.

Lurking just behind are Spanish Town Primary sitting in the third spot on 83 points. St Catherine Primary are fourth with 37 points with Angel Primary fifth on 30 points.

With 28 finals set for the final day, the stage is set for a three-way battle for the title between Naggo Head, Greater Portmore and Spanish Town as only 11 points separate the teams.

With eight records established, Naggo Head was responsible for four of them as Kiara Watson broke the first in the Girls’ Cricket Ball Throw with 43.40m. At the Eastern Championship, Taheisha Brown of Lyssons threw 44.66 for that record. The stage is set for an epic battle at the Nationals later this month.

Ryandre Barteley of Greater Portmore won the boys Cricketball Throw with 58.38m ahead of Jardane Doyley of Homestead primary with 54.75m.

Meanwhile, seven of the eight 4x100 relay records were erased and Naggo Head were responsible for three of them. They won the Girls’ Class Four 4x100 in 1:03.26 ahead of Spanish Town who also dipped below the previous record clocking 1:03.33. Greater Portmore was third in 1:03.45. Naggo Head were at it again capturing the Girls’ Class Three and Two in 56.28 and  54.52 respectively.

Spanish Town won three relays, two of which were in record fashion capturing the Boys’ Class One (49.96) and Girls Class (53.49). Spanish Town also won the Boys’ Class Four in 1:02.59.

Greater Portmore won the Boys’ Class Three 4x100m in 55.00 ahead of Naggo Head in 56.13. Angel Primary was third in 56.31. St Catherine win the Boys’ Class Two in a record 53.41.