The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Shaunae Miller-Uibo continued her impressive showing this year, winning the women’s 400 metres at the Oregon Relays in Eugene, Oregon with a world-leading and new facility record-breaking performance.

The Bahamian Olympic 400m champion, who is expected to contest the 200m at the games in Tokyo, Japan in July, clocked 49.08 seconds to run away from the field to shave off 0.26 of the previous stadium record held by Mexico’s Ana Guevara from 2003.

In posting the fourth fastest time of her career that is highlighted by her Bahamian national record of 48.37 for the silver medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Miller-Uibo ran away from the rest of the field in the race that was a part of the USATF Grand Prix.

A host of Americans trailed with Lynna Irby coming the closest to Miller-Uibo in second in 50.28.

“The 400 is my favourite event, so I love coming in and trying to figure it out and having some fun with unravelling the secrets of it,” Miller-Uibo said. “We’ve been really working on getting our strength up and now that we are in the middle of the season we are going to work on speed and getting ready to put down some great performances in the 200s.”

The 27-year-old Miller-Uibo, a graduate of St Augustine’s College, is expected to contest the 200m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan this summer as she attempts to add to the 400m title she earned in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.

Miller-Uibo has already boosted her claim to the crown by running the fastest time in the world in the half-lap race in 22.03 at the Pure Athletics Track Meet earlier this month at the NTC Training Centre in Clermont, Florida.

Also at the Oregon Relays where she competed in the collegiate segment, Washington State’s sophomore Charisma Taylor clinched the title in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.72. MacKenzie Fletcher, a team-mate of Taylor, was second in 14.58.

“It was okay,” said Taylor about her performance. “I didn’t run the time I wanted, but I’m getting ready for the bigger meets (including the Pac 12 Championships, scheduled for May 14-16 in Los Angeles, California. Taylor, a former multiple star at Queen’s College, was also entered in the triple jump, but did not start. Aria Small, a junior at Stanford, was the only one of five competitors to contest the event. She won with 40-feet, 11-inches or 12.47 metres.

“I had bruised my heel at the Oregon meet three weeks ago (at the Hayward Premiere, May 2-3) and I’m still recovering from it,” said Taylor about why she did not contest the triple jump.

This weekend at the West Coast Relays, the former Queen’s College star is expected to be back on the field in the triple jump and on the track in the hurdles as she continue her collegiate season.

Also at the Oregon Relays, Grand Bahamian Holland Martin continue to shine in the men's long jump. He placed second with a leap of 25-2 1/2 (7.68m) to trail American Marquis Dendy, who won with 26-2 1/4 (7.98m).

Bahamian showdown in Drake Relays

The two top Bahamian women’s 100m hurdlers went head to head at the Drake Relays for their second consecutive match up this season with Devynne Charlton, inspired by her family in the stands, once again came through the ten flights of hurdles ahead of Pedrya Seymour.

At the Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, Charlton finished fourth in 12.84 to tie her season’s best, while Seymour was sixth in 12.93. Great Britain’s Cindy Sember won the race in a personal best of 12.57, by American world record holder Kendra Harrison didn’t finish.

Charlton, coming of her qualifying performance for the Olympics in her previous outing, said she felt good about thed performance.

“I think the consistency is an indicator that a big drop in time is around the corner,” said Charlton, who was thrilled to her parents David and Laura Charlton, sister Anthaya and uncle Mark attended the meet. “Overall, the match up was very exciting, probably the best field I’ve competed in so far.”

Charlton, however, said looking back at the replay, Charlton said it appeared as if it was a nasty fall for Harrison, but she’s thanking God that she’s okay, noting that “it’s unfortunate, but that’s the nature of the event.”

Charlton, now training in Lexington, Kentucky with her former Purdue University Bahamian head coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene, will be back in action in her next meet at the Kentucky Open.

Seymour, on the other hand, said the good thing is she doesn’t have any expectations for this season, which eases the pressure of her, having already qualified for the Olympics prior to the pandemic last year.

“I am just trusting the process. I am still learning how to do things and be consistent with everything from my start, to my hurdling technique and being quick and competing in between the hurdles,” said Seymour, now reunited with her former Illinois collegiate coach Randy Gallon, who is now an assistant coach at Auburn University.

“It’s all a process and the way I’m competing right now, especially because it’s early in the season, is showing that I’m thinking about what I need to do instead of just going out there and running. I’m not there yet, but I’m competing. I feel like it’ll all come together for me at the right time.”

Seymour said she certainly heard the Charltons in the stands shouting “242,” but she was also concerned about Harrison after she clipped the first hurdle and fell.

“She was upset, but we spoke briefly after the race and we both encouraged each other,” Seymour said. “She told me to focus on getting better each time I step on the track and I told her to don’t be so hard on herself. At least this race wasn’t the Olympic final.

“As athletes, we wan to have a smooth season with no bumps in the road, but that’s not realistic at all. There are going to be highs and lows. It’s all apart of the journey. Mentally, I’m in a great space though. I keep telling myself to look at the bigger picture. I don’t have to peak right now.”

Also at the Drake Relays, Denisha Cartwright anchored Minnesota State Mavericks women’s 4 100m relay team of Makayla Jackson, Ja’Cey Simmons and Grace Hartman to victory in 45.25, the fastest collegiate time this year. It was also a new Minnesota State outdoor track & field record, replacing the previous time of 45.56 from the 2010 season.

Gaither in fine form

At the TRUFit Meet Series in Miami, Florida, sprinter Tynia Gaither showed that she’s in fine form with her first and second place finishes in the women’s 200 and 100m respectively.

Gaither, competing for the Elite Performance Track Club, powered to victory in the 200m in 22.70. Srabani Nanda of the MVP Track and Field Club was a distant second in 23.37.

Gaither also won her heat in 11.10 for the second fastest time in the preliminaries behind MVP Track Club’s Natasha Morrison, who did 10.98. But in the final, she had to settle for second in 11.02 as Morrison took the title in 10.87.

Grand Bahamian Teray Smith, competing for Puma MVP International, was ninth in the men’s century in 10.34 after he won his heat in the preliminaries in 10.34 for the 12th fastest time.

American Fred Kerley, representing Nike, was the winner in 9.91.

Andre Colebrooke, also competing for Puma MVP International, came in 10th overall in the men’s 400m in 49.31. He was fourth in his section of the final. Nathon Allen of Puma MVP International, won the event in 46.02.

And Blake Bartlett Jr, competing unattached, closed out the meet with 10th as well in the men’s 200m in 21.80 after he was third in his heat. Zharnel Hughes of PSM won the event in 19.93.