Douglas dazzles with double delight at Camperdown Classic

WORLD Under-20 200 metres bronze medallist Shanoya Douglas of Holland High School was the star performer at last Saturday’s 21st staging of the Camperdown Classic at the Ashenheim Stadium, after racing to an impressive double victory.

On a day when World Athletics Championships 100 metres champion Oblique Seville made his season’s debut in the 400m, and Olympic sprint legend Elaine Thompson Herah returned to competition after some 19 months, it was Douglas who shone the brightest.

The former Muschett High standout, fresh off her indoor national junior record run in the 300 metres in New York last month, was dominant in both the 100m and 400m. Competing in her first year in Class One, she stamped her authority on the 100m, winning in 11.45 seconds ahead of Hydel High’s Shemonique Hazle (11.72) and Penwood High’s Shakeya Reid (11.99).

Her best, however, came in the Invitational women’s 400m. Running a well-timed race, she reeled in early leader and national senior representative Jodean Williams of SprinTec to win in a personal-best 52.60 seconds. Williams was second in 53.21, while Hydel High’s Natassia Fletcher was third in a season’s best 53.76.

Fans were eager to witness the return of Thompson Herah after her lengthy injury lay-off. Competing for Elite Performance in the 60 metres, there was little to write home about as she finished third in 7.24. Lavanya Williams of Speed Dynamics won in 7.17, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Shaniqua Bascombe of Uptimum Track Club was second in 7.23.

Thompson Herah was delighted to be back. “I am grateful. That was months and years of rust,” Thompson Herah said. World 200m bronze medallist Bryan Levell of Uptimum Track Club stormed to victory in the men’s 60 metres in 6.56 seconds. Racers’ Bouwahjgie Nkrumie was second in 6.62, the same time clocked by Roshawn Clarke of Swept Track Club for third overall.

Competing for the first time since his golden run at last summer’s World Championships in Tokyo, Seville, representing Racers Track Club, finished third in his 400m heat and 10th overall in a personal-best 46.98 seconds, improving on his previous best of 47.05 set at last year’s meet. Former world champion Antonio Watson of Racers won overall in 45.11. Racers swept the top three spots, with Taj-Marques Whyte second in 45.59 and Raheem Hayles third in 45.63.

Edwin Allen High’s Kevongaye Fowler and Calabar High’s Dujhauntai Lewis showed impressive form in the 800m, sending strong signals to rivals ahead of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

Competing in the third heat of the Girls’ Class Two 800m, Fowler held off Alphansus Davis High’s Alikay Reynolds to win in 2:11.63, the fastest female time on the day. Reynolds clocked 2:13.41 for second, while teammate Tabbrel Williams won her heat in 2:14.38 for third overall.

Hydel secured two wins over the two laps through Oshea Cummings in Class Three and Rihanna Morgan in Class One. Cummings, the Trinidad and Tobago middle-distance standout who has been unmatched this season, romped to victory in 2:16.45, ahead of Edwin Allen’s Aneka Lowe (2:18.77) and Sydney Pagon’s Kamoya Graham (2:18.81).

Morgan, formerly of Manchester High, proved too strong in Class One, winning in 2:12.36 ahead of Immaculate Conception’s Davine Dickeson (2:12.94) and Alphansus Davis’ Ameiah Samuels (2:13.14).

Calabar’s Lewis, out of Great Britain, continued his fine season with a personal-best 1:52.43 for a commanding victory in the boys’ Class One 800m. Jamaica College’s Samuel Creary (1:52.93) and Carlos Bison Cainez (1:53.48) were second and third, respectively.

Jamaica College underlined their middle-distance strength with dominant performances in Classes Three and Two. In Class Three, Rikardo Lee led a podium sweep in 2:02.26, followed by Ajovi Williams (2:03.38) and Mickeloy Saunders (2:04.62). Cavel Nooks captured Class Two in 1:56.90, ahead of Sydney Pagon’s Luke Plummer (1:57.61) and teammate Bevin Daley (1:59.32).

Hydel and Kingston College were outstanding in the field, capturing the triple jump titles. Zavion Bernard won the girls’ Open with 12.63m, ahead of Immaculate Conception’s Jaeda Robinson (12.29m) and St Catherine High’s Tshani Armstrong, who produced a personal-best 11.95m.

Kingston College secured a one-two finish in the boys’ Class One triple jump as Rekelme Hunter leapt a personal-best 15.60m to win, ahead of teammate Amani Phillips (15.32m) and Roshane Francis of Wolmer’s Boys’ (15.08m PB).

There were also personal-best distances for the top two finishers in the boys’ Class Three high jump. St Catherine High’s Dontaun Goode cleared 1.75m for victory, ahead of Jamaica College’s Donovan Simpson-Brown and teammate Nicholas Ayre, who both managed 1.65m.