The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ONE week after running at home to participate in the IAAF inaugural World Relays, Bahamian team-mates Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, Michael Mathieu and Adrian Griffith were back on the international circuit, competing in separate meets in the United States, while there were others attempting to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

At the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Brown faced a stacked field in the men’s 400 metres. After running the stagger out of lane seven in front of the pack on the back stretch, but coming off the final bend, Brown was caught and past by Grenada’s Kirani James and American LaShawn Merritt.

In a close battle to the tape, both world champions were timed in a world leading time of 43.97, but James managed to lean to take the tape ahead of Merritt. South Africa’s Youssef Ahmed Masrahi got third in 44.77 and Brown had to settle for fourth in 45.15, both season best performances.

Brown, the 35-year-old IAAF World Indoor silver medalist, was the only Bahamian to compete in the meet.

Meanwhile, over in Clermont, Florida where the NTC/Pure Athletics Last Chance Meet was held, Michael Mathieu won the men’s 400m in 45.11, which was also a season’s best. He beat out American Kerron Clement, who ran 46.08 for second place.

Also, Adrian Griffith was fifth in the men’s 100m in a personal best of 10.03. Trinidad & Tobago’s Richard Thompson took the tape in 9.74, ahead of Guyana’s Adam Harris in 9.90. Griffith, competing for Mizuno, was tied with D’Angelo Cherry for the eighth fastest qualifying time of 10.35. Thompson had the fastest time of 10.12.

A number of athletes also competed over the weekend at the NCAA West and East Preliminary Rounds in their bid to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon over the weekend of June 11-14.

At the West Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Grand Bahamian Shavez Hart, a junior at the home based Texas A&M, earned his berth with a third place finish in the men’s 200 metres in 20.43. The two fastest qualifiers out of the top 12 were Aaron Brown, a senior at the University of South Carolina, in 20.16 and Prezel Hardy Jr, a senior at Texas A&M, in 20.42.

Trevorvano Mackey, a junior at Texas Tech, failed in hid bid to advance. He was 19th overall in 21.07. The 12th and final qualifier ran 20.78.

The first round of the preliminaries saw Hart run 20.60 for the fourth best time. Mackey advanced as well after he ran 20.97 for 25th overall.

In the women’s 200, Tynia Gaither, a a junior at the USC, advanced with the fifth fastest time of 22.88. Texas A&M posted the two fastest times from Olivia Ekpone in 20.59 and Kamaria Brown in 22.66. Both are juniors.

During the first round, Gaither clocked 23.16 for the fifth fastest qualifying time.

Raymond Higgs will have double duties as he added the triple jump to his specialty in the long jump. Higgs, a senior at Arkansas, soared 15.92 metres or 52-feet, 2-inches for third place in the men’s hop, skip and jump event. The top qualifier was Devin Field, a sophomore at Kansas State with 16.30m (53-5).

In the long jump, Higgs won with a leap of 7.77m (25-6) to secure his first of two spots.

Two females are also booked in the triple jump as well as the long jump.

Tamara Myers, a junior at Arkansas, had the best performance with her fourth place in the triple jump with 13.01m (42-8), followed by Zinnia Miller, a senior at Iowa, with her sixth place with 12.79m (41-11).

Myers, a native of Andros,had the third best qualifying mark in the women’s ong jump of 6.31m (20-8 1/2), while Miller, a native of Abaco, trailed eith the foruth best mark of 6.26m (20-6 1/2).

It wasn’t so fortunate for Kenya Culmer, a senior at Southern Illinois, who will miss an appearance in her final meet in her collegiate career. She was tied eith six others for 31st in the women’s high jump ith 1.67m (5-5).

At the East Preliminary Rounds at the North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Teray Smith will make his first NCAA appearance as a junior at Auburn. He qualified with the eighth fastest time of 20.68 in the men’s 200m.In the first round of the 200m, Smith ran 20.98 for 17th overall.

V’Alonee Robinson, who returned to Auburn after coming here to compete in the World Relays, ran 11.75 for 20th in the first round of the women’s 100m. But in the next round, her time of 11.68 for 22nd place left her out of contention of the top 12 spots going to Eugene.

And in the men’s 400m, Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell will also close out his collegiate career by not competing in the men’s 400m. The Florida State senior just barely missed the cut, finishing 14th in 46.37. The 12th and final spot went to Lamar Bruton, a freshman of Ohio State, in 46.02. The fastest qualifier was Brycen Spraltling, a senior at Pittsburgh, in 45.09.

Russell did advance out of the first round, running 46.65 for 16th overall.