Ja athletes seek individual glory at NCAA Indoors

Several Jamaican athletes, led by high jumper Lamara Distin, will be seeking individual glory when the two-day National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor Championships starts today at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Distin, formerly of Rusea’s High, Vere Technical and Hydel High, and a senior at Texas A&M University, is the top seed in the women’s high jump and is the highest ranked Jamaican at the meet. Distin, who won the event at the National Senior Championships last year, broke the Jamaican indoor high jump record at the Don Kirby Elite Indoor meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in February, where she won with a clearance of 1.90 metres. Distin’s teammate, Charokee Young, also a former Hydel High athlete, is the next best Jamaican female qualifier, as her season’s best of 51.28 seconds has her at number four in the women’s 400 metres. Former St Elizabeth Technical 400m runner Stacy ann Williams, who will represent the University of Texas, Austin, has also qualified for the event. She is the seventh seed, with a season’s best 51.60.

World Under-20 100m hurdles champion Ackera Nugent will be one of four Jamaicans who will contest the women’s 60m hurdles. A sophomore at Baylor University, the former Excelsior High standout is ranked at number four with her season-best 7.90 seconds. Daszay Freeman, formerly of Manchester High and The Queen's School and competing for the University of Arkansas, is at 11th with 8.02 and former Vere Technical hurdler Demisha Powell, competing for Texas Technical University, is at number 12, also with 8.02. Former St Jago High athlete Rosealee Cooper closes out the list at number 14 with 8.07. She attends Mississippi State University.

Kemba Nelson, Kevona Davis and Joanna Reid are down to contest sprint events. Nelson, formerly of Mt Alvernia and now competing for the University of Oregon, is ranked number six in the women’s 60 metres with 7.15 seconds. Davis, the former Edwin Allen High star, will turn out for the University of Texas, Austin in the 200 metres, where her season’s best is 23.24 seconds. She is ranked at 11th. Reid a St Jago High past student, will also contest the 200m for the University of Arkansas, where she is ranked number 15 with 23.25. Former St Andrew Technical jumper Taisha Pryce will contest the long jump for Kansas State University, where her best of 6.54 metres has her at number nine.

Former Kingston College jumper, Olympian Carey McLeod, will lead the way among the men. Competing for the University of Tennessee, McLeod is ranked number three in the long jump with 8.07m and seventh in the triple jump with 16.33m. His teammate, Wayne Pinnock, also a former Kingston College standout, will join him in the long jump, where his best of 7.92m has him at number seven. Three Jamaicans will start in the men’s 60 metres hurdles, with former St Jago High and Kingston College athlete Vashuan Vacciana leading the way. Vacciana, of Texas Tech University, is the sixth seed with 7.66 seconds. Phillip Lemonius, formerly of Jamaica College, is at number eight with the same time. He is a student at the University of Arkansas. Calabar High’s former team captain, Lafranz Campbell (7.70 seconds), is at number 14 for Clemson University.