Davis maintains good form on college circuit

FORMER EDWIN Allen High School sprinter, Kevona Davis, is displaying her best form at the collegiate level since moving to this level and closed off the three-day Big 12 Conference Championships yesterday in Norman, Oklahoma with excellent performances for the University of Texas, Austin .

Davis had second-place finishes in the women’s 100 and 200 metres finals, while she led her team to victory in the 4x100m relay final.

In the 100m she clocked 11.04 seconds as teammate, Julien Alfred of St Lucia won the event in 10.84. Davis, the top Jamaican woman so far in the 200m with a 22.47 seconds season’s best, returned later to finish second once again to Alfred in 22.51. Alfred, the World leader in the event with 21.91 won in 22.28. Davis then teamed up with Alfred in the 4x100m where she ran the anchor leg as University of Texas won the event in a collegiate leading time of 41.89 seconds.

At the same meet, there were also wins for Davis’ former Edwin Allen teammate Ackelia Smith and former Vere Technical sprint hurdler Demisha Roswell. Smith, competing for the University of Texas, only used two attempts for her winning mark of 13.75 metres in the triple jump.

Competing for Texas Technical University, Roswell easily took care of business in the 100m hurdles final as she won in 13.02 seconds.

At the South East Conference Championships which concluded on Saturday in Baton Rouge two more Jamaicans, Lamara Distin and Roje Stona, added to the success of Jaydon Hibbert and Wayne Pinnock in field events finals.

Distin, the former Rusea’s High, Vere Technical and Hydel High athlete continued to do well in the high jump . The Commonwealth Games and NCAA Indoor champion in the event, competing for Texas A and M University, soared to a winning height of 1.91 metres.

Former St Jago High thrower Roje Stona and former Kingston College representative Ralford Mullings have continued their high school rivalry at the collegiate level. Competing in the men’s discus finals both made it a one-two for the University of Arkansas as Stona produced a personal best 68.64m for the win with Mullings finishing second with 62.00m.

At the Atlantic Coast Conference in Raleigh , North Carolina there were mixed results for former Kingston College team captain Tarees Rhoden. Competing for Clemson University Rhoden the favourite for the 800m where he has a best of one minute 46.20 seconds could only manage eighth in the final with a disappointing 1: 58.88. He, however, made amends in the 400m final where he raced to a personal best 45.60 seconds for the win.