Reid set to finally meet dangerous Hodge

LANDOVER, Maryland:

IT HAS been a dream season so far for Hydel High School’s Alana Reid.

Fresh off her opening leg in the 4x100 metres relay to lead her school to their first success in the Penn Relays Championships of America High School 4x100 metres last Saturday in Philadelphia, she will be seeking 100-metre glory at the international stage on Saturday.

Reid, with only one defeat in the 100 metres this season when she lost to Edwin Allen High School’s Serena Cole at the Carifta Games Trials, has moved from strength to strength, her best moment coming at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships where she raced to a National Junior record of 10.92 seconds to win the Class One 100 metres. Cole was absent after suffering a hamstring injury.

At the Carifta Games in the Bahamas, all were looking forward to a clash between herself and 17-year-old Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands, the double sprint champion at the Games a year earlier in Jamaica. Hodge had also won the long jump and thus was adjudged the Austin Sealy Award winner. That clash did not take place with Hodge suffering an ankle injury during warm-up, missing the rest of the meet.

Both will be in a mouth-watering clash at this Saturday’s Puma East Coast International Showcase at the Prince George Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland.

Number-one junior in the world in the event, Reid, will go up against Hodge, who is number two with the 11.11 seconds done last Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.

Alexis James of Petersfield High School, the Carifta Games 100-metre hurdles under-20 champion, will also contest the 100 metres where she has a season best of 11.44 seconds.