Mason, Tracy impress at JAAA meet

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

SPRINT TECH's Michael Mason and Edwin Allen High's Ristananna Tracy were impressive at Sunday's third JAAA All Comers track and field meet at G.C. Foster College as both won their event in fine style.

The meet, held in a bid to keep athletes competitive before the National Junior and Senior Championships, saw another good turn-out by athletes following one held the previous week inside the National Stadium.

After showing great improvement this season in the 400 metres, Mason, who is conditioned by top coach Maurice Wilson, maintained his good form with a good display in the men's 400 metres, beating Swept Track Club's Oral Thompson on the way to registering 45.91 seconds. Thompson clocked 46.05 seconds for second, while the University of Technology's (UTech) Peter Matthews finished third in 46.10.

There has been no stopping Tracy this year and once again the Michael Dyke-coached athlete was in fine form as showing versatility while competing in the 200 metres for the first time this season, the UTech-bound athlete romped to a respectable 23.63 seconds in winning the event.

Also competing in the half-lap event for the first time this season, Holmwood Technical's Janeive Russell finished second in 24.10, with her schoolmate Yanique Ellington third in 24.23.

World Indoor 60 metre champion, Nesta Carter of MVP Club, also made his presence felt as he graced the track for the first time this season in the 100 metres.

He came face to face with defending men's senior champion, Oshane Bailey, and Carter got the better of his opponent, winning in 10.27 seconds.

Bailey clocked 10.30 for the runner-up spot.

Schoolboys Andrew Fisher of St. Elizabeth Technical High School and Wolmer's Boys Odean Skeen also had good wins in their respective heats. Fisher clocked 10.41 for third overall in the event, while Skeen, the World Youth Olympic champion, showing signs of fitness produced his best run for the season, as he clocked a personal best 10.41 to finish fourth overall.

impressive 2:07.60

Champs Class Two and Carifta Under-20 800-metre champion, new kid on the block Simoya Campbell of Spaldings High, recorded an impressive 2:07.60 to win the event, turning back the twin challenges of Edwin Allen's Desrine Montigue (2:10.00) and Marleen Eubanks (2:16.57), who had to settle for second and third, respectively.

Edwin Allen's Christiana Williams continued her build-up for the National Juniors with another fine display of sprinting as she won her heat in 11.62 seconds, easily defeating Ellington into second place in 12.16 seconds.

Williams' teammate, Claudette Allen, posted the second fastest time of the day in the event as she won her heat in 11.92, while running into a negative wind of 3.0 metres per second. St Jago's Melissa Williams was second but third overall with 11.98 seconds.

Three national senior representatives took the top places in the women's 400 metres as Racers' Shereefa Lloyd (52.32) got the better of training partner Davita Prendegast who clocked 53.37 for the runner-up spot, while G.C. Foster College Track Club's Anastasia Leroy was third in 53.93.