The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

While Donald Thomas was holding his own in Europe, a number of Bahamians were competing on the collegiate scene, which included another meeting between the top two Bahamian female high hurdlers Devynne Charlton and Pedyra Seymour.

At the indoor meeting in Karlsruhe, Thomas cleared 2.28 metres or 7-feet, 5 ¾-inches for third place in the men’s high jump. He attempted 2.30 (7-61/2), but missed all three tries.

Pavel Seliverstau posted the world’s best leap of 2.30m (7-61/2) for the win. Mateusz Przybylko of Germany had a season’s best of 2.28m (7-5 ¾) as well to get second. He had fewer knockdowns than Thomas.

BAHAMIAN CONNECTION

AT MEYO INVITATIONAL

Charlton and Seymour, meeting for the second time this indoor season, had the outcome reversed in the women’s 60m hurdles.

Flashback to their initial encounter on January 1 at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet, Seymour clocked 7.98 seconds to rank her second in NCAA Division, fourth in the world and moved her into second place on Illinois’ all-time list. Seymour was third and Charlton followed in fourth in 8.05. World record holder Kendra Harrison won the race in 7.75 and Leah Nugent of PUMA was second in 7.96.

This weekend, Charlton won the race in 8.02 for her fastest time this season and the third best in the country for the year.

“Overall I was pleased with my race. I didn’t run as fast as I would have liked to, but it was the third fastest time I’ve ever ran so I can’t complain,” Charlton told The Tribune. “As I expected, it was a tough race with her (Seymour) right next to me. I’m happy we were able to push each other that way.”

Charlton admitted that she still has some things to work on as she cleans up her technique before she heads into the Big Ten Conference. She intends to take a week off from competing to work on those details.

In the preliminary round, Charlton won her heat in the fastest qualifying time of 8.21 and Seymour won her heat in 8.25.

And, in the semi-final, Charlton had the fastest time to win her heat in 8.13 and Seymour did 8.20 to win her heat with the second fastest qualifying time.

In the 60m preliminaries, the Purdue duo of Carmiesha Cox and Charlton got second in 7.45 and fourth in 7.45 respectively. Only Charlton went on to run in the semi-final, posting the fastest qualifying time of 7.42. But Charlton opted not to contest the final.

Cox, however, ran the 200m where she was second in 23.64.

And in the women’s 4 x 400m relay, Cox ran the second leg for the Boilermakers as they came in second in a time of 3:36.04 - the 2nd best time in programme history.

One other Bahamian female competitor as Celine Thompson of the University of Miami ended up with a three-way tie for 12th place with a leap of 1.61m (5-03.25).

On the men’s side, Thompson’s Miami team-mate Henri Delauze got the better of the showdown with Purdue’s Kinard Rolle. Delauze got third in his heat in 47.65 for sixth overall , while Rolle was fourth in his heat in 48.17 for 13th place.

The two ran on the same legs – second – on their respective men’s 4 x 400m relay with Rolle and Purdue coming second in 3:09.26 with Delauze and Miami taking fourth in 3:12.47.

HIELD PERSONAL BEST

In Boise, Idaho at the Jacksons/NB Invitational, senior Kadeisha Hield came up with her best performances of their career for Nevada with a long jump personal record with her jump of 19-0.75 inches. The mark was good enough to put Hield tied for first in the event, and improved on her previous mark of 19-0.5 inches, fifth in Nevada history.

ROLLE AT DRAKE

At the Drake Invitational in their home meet, Drake’s Taryn Rolle came in 10th in the women’s triple jump with 39-9.75.

ROMER QUALIFIES

Grand Bahamian Leslie Romer, competing for Taylor University at the Indiana Wesleyan Classic in Marion, Indiana, pulled of a victory in the men’s 60m in 6.87 to clear the NAIA A standard to earn a return trip to the NAIA Indoor National Championships next month.

NEWBOLD MAKES

AN IMPRESSION

At th Grinnell Indoor Invitational in Grinnell, another Grand Bahamian Husani Newbold placed fourth in the men’s 400m in 51.53. Newbold also anchored the Rams men’s 4 x 400m relay team to victory in 3:30:24.

SAMSON SHINE

Sprinter Samson Colebrooke cracked the top ten of the men’s 200m, matching his personal best 21.54 to finish eighth Barton Community College at the the 42nd annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.

PIERRE AND SANDS IN NE

Highland Community College had two Bahamians competing at the 2017 Ward Haylett Invitational at the Doane College in Crete, New England.

Sprinter Prolene Pierre was fourth in the women’s 60m in 7.94. She also contested the 200m where she was second in 26.71.

And Antoni Sands was tied for sixth in the women’s high jump with 1.57m (5-01.75), qualifying for the Junior Nationals.

PINDER AT BROWN

INVITATIONAL

At the Vince Brown Invitational at the Christopher Newport -Freeman Center in Newport News, Virginia, Justin Pinder of Norfolk State was second in his heat and fifth overall in 1:59:83.