The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE outdoor track and field season moved into another weekend for several Bahamian collegiate athletes who continued to turn in standout performances at the NCAA Division I level.

Denzel Pratt was one of several throwers to lead the way for the Liberty Flames at the Gamecock Invitational in Colombia, South Carolina. The senior took first place in the javelin with his throw of 65.5m (215’ 6”), just over 12 feet ahead of the second place finisher.

Liberty throwers produced five of the team’s seven wins at the event.

Purdue Boilermakers junior sprinter Samson Colebrooke continued his momentum from last weekend’s Big 10 Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honour.

Colebrooke finished second in the 200m at the Louisville Invite in Louisville, Kentucky. He finished in 20.75 seconds.

After an impressive weekend at the Jim Click Shootout, Colebrooke earned the conference’s top award. On one day, Colebrooke ran his way to three first-place finishes, three Purdue record book-worthy times and three of the nation’s top 22 marks.

With individual victories in the 100-metre and 200-metre dash, Colebrooke ran the week’s fastest times in the conferences. He ran 10.19 in the 100m, shaved off an entire 0.27 seconds ranked No. 2 and No. 11 in the NCAA this season.

He was also the third fastest sprinter in Boilermakers’ history in the event and became just the 10th athlete in Bahamian history to run under 10.20.

Additionally, Colebrooke carved his name in the Purdue 200m dash top performance list as well, placing seventh in Boilermakers history. His first-place finish in the event was fuelled by a time of 20.74, ranked No.22 in the NCAA.

As a member of the 4x100-metre relay team, he helped record the week’s fastest time in the nation and eighth-fastest time in 2019. It was Purdue’s second-fastest time in programme history (39.39), which was just one one-hundredth of a second shy of tying the Purdue record.

Colebrooke rounded out the meet with a third-place finish as a member of the 4x400m relay team, which was timed at 3:12.09.

The Bahamian quartet at Oral Roberts University each reached the medal podium at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Sasha Wells took another first place in the 100m hurdles in 13.75, while Gabrielle Gibson was fifth in 14.10.

Kayvon Stubbs took fourth place in the 100m in 11.96.

The trio led the 4x100m team to their fastest times of the season in 45.89. The time was just 0.7 seconds off the school record set in 2018.

Bradley Dormeus ran an outdoor season best and his second fastest time overall in his freshman season, finishing the 400m in 46.95.

His personal best is 46.65, which he ran during the Summit League Indoor Championship.

Dormeus was also a member of the second place 4x400m team that ran 3:09.12.

University of Texas-El Paso Miners Shakeem Smith and Dreshanae Rolle competed at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station, Texas.

Smith finished second in the 100m hurdles in a season’s best time of 14.45 (+ 2.1). His time currently ranks sixth in Conference USA.

Rolle refinished fourth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:05.05.

High jumper Jyles Etienne also turned in a season’s best time for his Indiana Hoosiers at the Tennessee Relays in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Etienne tied his season best with a clearance of 2.05m (6’ 8’.75”) and was fourth overall.

Southeastern Louisiana junior Donovan Storr was just shy of his personal best in the 200m at the Cole-Lancon Conference Challenge at the Ragin’ Cajuns Track and Soccer Complex in Louisiana.

Storr finished first in 21.24, just shy of his personal best (21.16). He currently holds the No.8 ranking in the Southland Conference Standings.

Amelia Peterson finished fourth in the triple jump for the Western Illinois Leathernecks with her mark of 11.26m at the Musco Twilight meet in Iowa City, Iowa.

Tiffany Hanna had two fourth place finishes for the Wagner Seahawks at the Metropolitan Championships in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The sophomore thrower had a toss of 46.50m in the hammer throw and 41.21m in the discus.

She also placed ninth in the shot put with a mark of 12.27m.

Tajnee Thurston and Andira Ferguson also competed in the field for the Fresno State Bulldogs at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational in Los Angeles, California.

Thurston finished fourth in the hammer throw with a mark of 50.12m (164’ 5”) and was eighth in the discus with her mark of 43.45m (142’ 7”). Ferguson finished eighth in the long jump at 5.32m (17’ 5.5”).