Oakley on fire - sub-49 in 400 metres

WORLD Athletics Championships 4x400 metres silver medallist Deijanea Oakley was on fire last Saturday on the final day of competition at the Southeastern Conference Track and Field Championships at Auburn University as she raced to a world-leading and personal-best 48.92 seconds to win the women’s 400 metres.

Representing the University of Georgia, Oakley, who was fourth in the event last year, crossed the line well ahead of the field as Kaylyn Brown of the University of Arkansas was second in 49.54, with her teammate Sanaria Butler third in 50.22.

The 21-year-old Oakley, who captured the indoor title in the event at last year’s NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships and was runner-up at the outdoor championships, became the second-fastest Jamaican ever in NCAA history and, in the process, replaced Nigeria's Ella Onojuvwevuc previous world best of 49.59.

There were two other wins at the meet by Jamaican athletes. Gabrielle Matthews won the  women’s 100m  and Rivaldo Marshall captured the men’s 800m.

Matthews, formerly of Hydel High and The Queen's School, and now competing for the University of Florida, posted a personal-best 10.97 to win the 100m ahead of Alicia Burnett of University of Mississippi, who was second in 11.01.  Alexis Brown of  the University of South Carolina was third in 11.09. Matthews also became the ninth Jamaican woman  this season to go under the 11-second barrier. She is also the 

sixth-fastest Jamaican in the event so far this season. 

Marshall, a former Calabar High School middle-distance standout now  representing the University of Arkansas, picked up the only win by a Jamaican male at the meet. He clocked 1:45.21 to capture the two-lap event and stayed on course to defend his NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships title. His teammate, Tyrice Taylor, formerly of Enid Bennett High, ended third in 1:46.71.

Two other Jamaicans,  Jordan Turner and Machaeda Linton, had top-three finishes at the championships.

Turner, formerly of Calabar  and competing for Louisiana State University, was second in the men’s long jump with a distance of 7.91m. Linton, formerly of St Jago High School and Hydel High  and representing Texas A&M University, was third in the women’s triple jump with 13.24m.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Former Edwin Allen High  hurdler Tonie-Ann Forbes picked up the only win for Jamaican athletes over the weekend at the Big 12 Conference Track and Field Championships in Tucson, Arizona.

Competing for Texas Tech University, Forbes stopped the clock at a season's best 12.75 to win the women’s 100m hurdles.

There was also a second-place finish for former St Jago  sprint hurdler Demario Prince. Competing for Baylor University; he sped to a season's best 13.08 in the men's 110m hurdles. .

Former Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha) jumper Aaliyah Lindsay also had a second-place finish at the meet. Competing for Kansas State University, she produced 6.42m in the women’s long jump.