Brown blazes to 100m win

This was the personal best time for the 22-year-old Brown, who accelerated in the latter stages of the race, lowering his previous best of 9.99 set two years ago. But yesterday’s run was made with an illegal wind speed of 3.0.

In any case, it was a chance for Brown to prove that his early season’s success was no fluke, as he won the national crown for the first time since 2001.

Richard Thompson of Rebirth finished second in 9.95 while 19- year-old Keston Bledman of Simplex took bronze in 10.05.

Two-time winner Marc Burns of Rebirth placed fourth in 10.06, ahead of defending champ and clubmate Jacey Harper 10.15, with Emmanuel Callender sixth in 10.18, Niconnor Alexander of Tigers seventh in 10.29 and Melvin Nero of Zenith last in 10.30.

In the “semis”, Brown won heat two in 10.23, ahead of Callender 10.34, Alexander 10.38 and Nero 10.43 while Thompson took the earlier heat in 10.09, with Bledman (10.14), Burns (10.20) and Harper (10.28) trailing.

Sasha Springer comfortably prevailed in the women’s 100m dash, crossing the finish in 11.31. The Memphis Pioneers sprinter whipped the favoured Ayanna Hutchinson of Phoenix, who ran 11.51, and Concorde’s Nandell Cameron (11.54).

Completing the field was Semoy Hackett of Zenith (11.56), former champ Fana Ashby of Concorde (11.65), Reyare Thomas of Neon Trackers (11.71), Antiguan Sonia Williams (11.73) and Nyoka Gilles of Memphis (11.75).

In the semi-finals, Hutchinson won heat one in 11.71, followed by Ashby (11.74) and Williams (11.91) while Springer took heat two in 11.60, ahead of Cameron (11.72), Hackett (11.77), Thomas (11.80) and Gilles (11.84).

Renny Quow, the world Under-20 400m champion, blazed to the men’s 400m title in 45.74. The Tobago-born Florida State University (FSU) quarter-miler, representing Zenith, equalled his personal best time which he set in the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China. The 19-year-old successfully defended his national title, despite the efforts of Simplex’s Ato Modibo 46.45 and Memphis’ Jarren Solomon 46.83.

Britney St Louis of Phoenix held off the challenges of Janeil Bellille and Romona Modeste to win the women’s one-lap in 54.09. Bellille of Neon Trackers clocked 54.38 while Modeste of Phantom was timed in 54.83.

World junior long jump champion Rhonda Watkins crushed her field to claim the women’s title, landing a distance of 6.26m. The 19-year-old University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) student, representing QRC, was followed by Carisa Leacock of Health Olympians (5.55m) and Deandra Daniel of Dovers (5.23m).

Seventeen-year-old Gavyn Nero, the most dominant junior long- distance runner over the last two years, cruised to victory in the men’s 1,500m in three minutes 57.36 seconds. The Memphis Pioneers representative was too much to handle for Denzil Ramirez of Defence Force, who took silver in 4:02.25, and third-placed Christian Benn (Health Olympians) 4:10.28.

Mikel Thomas of Petrotrin Pointe-a-Pierre captured the men’s 110m hurdles title with a time of 14.14 seconds, ahead of UWI’s Adoniss Jones 14.56 and Rebirth’s Shane Cooper 14.77.

Two athletes faced the starter’s gun in the women’s 100m hurdles final, but only Afesha Dunbar of Point Fortin Civic Centre Jets completed the race, as her rival Kerlene Reyes of Neon Trackers failed to finish. Dunbar clocked 16.58 seconds.

Kevin Huggins of QRC took the men’s high jump, clearing the bar at 2.03m, ahead of Kashef Daniel of Zenith and Dwayne Nicome of Neon Trackers, who both shared second place with two metres flat.

In the men’s javelin, Kerron Brown of Success prevailed with an effort of 57.82m, followed by Andre Andrews of Palo Seco (53.78m) and Rick Francis of Defence Force (48.45m). Kwema Philander of Palo Seco copped the women’s equivalent with a throw of 36.11m, with Success’ Venice Fredericks (36.03m) and Shelly Richards of Brooklyn (26.69m) trailing.

Natoya Baird of Zenith emerged victorious in the women’s heptathlon, tallying 3,056 points, well ahead of Fredericks 2,595 and Jackie Quamina of Neon Trackers 2,363. The meet will conclude today, with a start time at 1 pm.