Scott sets hammer record

PENNSYLVANIA: Trinidad and Tobago’s Candice Scott and Elva Goulbourne of Jamaica, set new records at the 109th Penn Relays on Thursday.

Scott shattered women’s collegiate hammer throw record when she posted 68.23 metres, and Goulbourne landed the long jump title at 6.65 metres at the Franklin Field Stadium, University of Pennsylvania. The Caribbean secured three other gold medals through Jamaicans Sheryl Morgan, Kedine Geddes and Peaches Roach in the High School category.

Scott whirled the hammer almost four metres beyond the previous record of 64.70 metres by Lisa Misipeka in 1998. “It’s great, but I think I could have done better,” Scott said. “I’m happy, but not satisfied,” added Scott, who topped her Florida team-mate Erin Gilreath (67.41). Goulbourne, the reigning Commonwealth Games and NCAA Indoor champion, was winning her third Penn Relays title — the first for her Jamaican High School, Dinthill Technical in 1999, and then for Auburn University last year.

Goulbourne topped Victoria Rybalko (6.57) for gold and now owns both the college women’s and high school girls’ long jump records of the Penn Relays. Roach, fresh from her CARIFTA record 1.86-metre win in Port-of-Spain last weekend, won the High School high jump gold at 1.77 metres over her teammate Shaunette Davidson, while Geddes (6.24) and Peta-Gay Beckford (6.17) did a Jamaica one-two in the long jump. Morgan won the 400-metre hurdles in 58.18 seconds.