The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Another year and another impressive performance for Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

Coming off an undefeated season in the limited competition held last year when the coronavirus pandemic broke through, Miller-Uibo stormed out of the blocks to win the women’s 200 metres at the American Track League #2 on Sunday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in a personal best of 22.40 seconds.

Running away from American Shamier Little from the start of the races, the 26-year-old reigning Olympic Games’ 400m champion tied the Randal Tyson Stadium record that was set by American Bianca Knight on March 14, 2008.

Little, a 400m hurdles specialist, was the only other competitor in the race. The 25-year-old trailed in the 6-foot, 1-inch Miller-Uibo for second place in her lifetime best of 23.40.

“I give God all the thanks and praise for allowing me to compete and finish the race healthy,” said Miller-Uibo after the victory. “Our main goal today was to get a chance to see exactly where we’re at in training and from today’s race, it shows we’re in a good place.

“So I’m happy with my performance and it’s back to training from here.”

Miller-Uibo, competing in her first indoor 200m since her freshman year at the University of Georgia, erased the Bahamian national record of 22.68 that was established by Pauline Davis-Thompson at the 5th World Indoor Championships in Barcelona, Spain, on March 11, 1995. Her time is now ranked as the ninth fastest of all-time.

Miller-Uibo added the mark to her national 300m record of 35.45 that she set at the Millrose Games in New York City, New York on February 3, 2018.

They go along with her outdoor national records of 16.23 in the 150m straight at the Adidas Boost Boston Games on May 20, 2018 in Boston; the 200m in 21.74 at the Diamond League on August 29, 2019 in Zurich, Switzerland; the 200m straight in 21.76 also at the Boost Boston Games on June 4, 2017; the 300m in 34.41 at the Golden Spike Ostrava on June 20, 2019 in Ostrava, Czech Republic and the 400m in 48.37 at the World Championships on October 3, 2019 in Doha, Qatar.

Also at the meet was jumper LaQuan Nairn. Without any jumping events to participate in, Nairn contested the men’s 60m where he was sixth in his heat in 6.92 for 11th place overall.

Taylor pulls off double dose of victory

At the UW Indoor Preview inside the Dempsey Indoor, Washington State University’s sophomore Charisma Taylor made a successful season debut with a double dose of victory.

While she didn’t compete in her speciality in the triple jump, Taylor soared to victory in the long jump with a leap of 18-feet and 10 3/4 inches or 5.76 metres, well off her personal best of 19-9 1/2 (6.03m). Jelani Heath of Washington was second with 18-10 3/4 (5.73m).

Taylor won the 60m hurdles in 8.35, just shy of her PR of 8.30 as she easily beat out second place finisher Aaliyah Wilson of Washington, who did 8.55.

“My season opener was pretty good. It was my first full approach long jump in a couple of years, so it was decent,” Taylor said. “The hurdles were good. I have some small things to work on so that I’ll be ready for the next meet.”

Taylor is slated to be back in action on Friday when she is expected to compete in the triple jump in Arkansas. She boasts a lifetime best mark of 43-3 3/4 (13.20m) that she did in 2019.

With this being a short season, Taylor said she has to be at her best in order to qualify for the NCAA National Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 11-13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.