The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribnemedia.net

Devynne Charlton joined arch-rival and national record holder Pedrya Seymour in surpassing the Olympic Games qualifying standard in the female 100 metre hurdles over the weekend.

The duo, competing at the Miramar South Florida Invitational in the Ansin Sports Complex, led a contingent of Bahamians, including collegiate female and male hurdlers Sasha Wells, Xavier Coakley, high jumpers Jyles Etienne and Bria Sands in other meets around the United States over the weekend.

Competing head-to-head for the first time in three years, Charlton had the fifth fastest time in the preliminaries of the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.84 seconds to match the qualifying time for the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan in August.

Seymour, who qualified for the games before it got postponed last year because of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, was sixth in 12.88. American world record holder Kendra Harrison topped the field in 12.54.

In the final, Harrison stopped the clock in 12.38 with Charlton sixth in 12.85 and Seymour seventh in 13.00. All times in the final were wind-aided. “I feel pretty good. It’s been a goal of mine since 2019 to run the Olympic qualifier,” said Charlton, who competed in just her third outdoor meet for the year. “I’m pleased with the performance. But having the Olympic qualifier was a weight off my shoulders. Now I am happy. I can just concentrate on executing and not having to worry about it until the final trials.”

For Seymour, the Bahamian national record holder at 12.64, it was just good to get in a good season opener. “It was a pretty good meet. I actually surprised myself. I didn’t expect to open up so fast. That was my fastest opener ever,” she said. “It was even faster than my opener in the Olympic year.”

Also at the meet, Holland Martin, competing in just his second meet for the year, soared 6-feet, 9-inches or 8.15 metres for second place in the men’s long jump to take the lead on his first attempt.

Jamaican Tajay Gayle bounced back on his second attempt to win with 27-1 3/4 (8.27m).

And Donald Thomas, in his season opener, cleared 7-3 3/4 (2.23m) for second place as well. American Shelby McEwen won with 7.5 (2.26m).

Sasha Wells leads Bahamians in Texas

At the Masked Rider Open at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, senior Sasha Wells broke her own Oral Roberts mark in the 100 metre hurdles with her time of 13.30 seconds, erasing her previous mark of 13.39 from the 2019 NCAA Preliminaries.

Also in the same heat won by Wells were two of her Bahamian team-mates Gabrielle Gibson, who got fourth in 13.79 and Indea Cartwright, sixth in 13.84.

“It was a good meet for this point in the season,” Wells said. “My coaches are happy with my progression and we’re looking forward to running even faster next week and for the rest of the season.

“My goal every meet is to PR (run personal best) so it’s nice to see that I did that and broke the school record again. There’s still a lot to smooth out and I’m interested to see what will happen next.”

Gibson, a sophomore, was seventh in the 200m in 23.79, while Wells was 12th in 24.07. Jodie Williams representing Puma, won in 22.81.

In the 100m, Oral Roberts’ sophomore Lakelle Kinteh placed fifth in her heat in 12.19 for 19th overall, Keyvon Stubbs, another Oral Roberts’ senior, was 27th in 12.37 after she got eighth in her heat. Williams got another win in 11.25.

Kinteh also competed in the long jump where she placed 13th with 18-0 1/4 (5.49m) on her third attempt, after scratching the first two tries. Ruth Usoro, a junior at Texas Tech, won with 21-8 1/4 (6.61m).

Wells also anchored Oral Roberts’ 4 x 100m relay team of Cartwright, Gibson and Victoria Neville to fourth place in 45.68. Texas Tech won in 44.15.

On the men’s side, Sakeem Smith a senior at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) took the victory in the 400m hurdles in 50.48. Second was Javed Jones, a freshman from New Mexico, was second in 51.55.

Smith led UTEP’s combo of Jevaughn Powell, Sean Bailey and Dennis Johnson to fourth in the men’s 4 x 100m in 44.45. Texas Tech won in 39.37.

Smith also ran the second leg on UTEP’s 4 x 400m relay team of Kevin Hewitt, Ned Azemia and Powell, which finished third in 3:11.44. Barton County Community College won in 3:08.47.

Coakley triumphed in Florida

At the Hurricane Alumni Invitational at the Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables, Florida, Xavier Coakley, a senior transfer at the University of Miami from Auburn University, won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.81.

His nearest rival was Davonte Vanterpool of Southeastern University in 14.18.

Etienne soared in Indiana

At the Indiana University’s Billy Hayes Track & Field Complex, Indiana’s senior Jyles Etienne cleared 6-8 (2.03m) for the victory in the men’s high jump. His team-mate Grayson Rolen was second with 1.99m.

Also at the meet, was Purdue’s Vinajah Adderley, who came in fifth in the women’s triple jump with 11.65m. Leah Moran of Indiana won with 12.96m.

Sands shine in Georgia

Competing for the 15th-ranked Life University women’s outdoor track and field team at the Berry Field Day Invitational in Mount Berry, Georgia, Bria Sands claimed her victory in the women’s high jump with a height of 1.62m.

Showing her versatility, Sands also posted a strong result in the sprints with a time of 26.50 for second in the 200m as she trailed her team-mate, Maya Smith-Speed, the winner in 26.14.

And Sands was also sixth in the 100m in 12.57. Olamide Sokunbi, running unattached, won in 11.97.

Life University, coached by Bahamian Dominic Demeritte, will be back in action on Saturday as they host the Running Eagles Open.

Bethel fifth in Texas

After her dominating performance the week before, Grand Bahamian Brianne Bethel slowed down a bit as the University of Houston Cougar’s red-shirt junior picked up a fifth place in the women’s 100m in 11.80 at the Texas A&M Team Invitational at Bryan-College Station.

Tiana Wilson of Arkansas won in 11.25 for a new facility record, erasing the previous time of 11.38 by Teahna Daniels of Texas that was set in 2019.