The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FLORIDA State’s freshman Rhema Otabor could only muster a 21st place finish in women’s javelin finals, while Houston’s sprinters Brianne Bethel and Camille Rutherford and University of Kentucky’s quarter-miler Megan Moss missed getting to the final of their respective events on day two of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Rutherford and Bethel also helped their Houston women's 4 x 100m relay reach the final, while Moss and Doneisha Anderson of the University of Florida both got their teams into the finals of the women's 4 x 400m relay on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, Otabor, competing in the first final for the Bahamian contingent at the four-day meet, tossed the spear 162-feet, 9-inches or 49.60 metres for her best throw in the competition on her third attempt for ninth place in her Group of 12 competitors.

Coming into the Nationals with a season and personal best of 177-9 (54.19m), opened her account on the day with 133-10 (40.79m) on her first attempt and followed it with 137-3 (4.85m). That only allowed her to close out the competition in 21st place.

Georgia’s senior Marie-Theresa OBST won with a heave of 195-10 (59.69) on her fifth attempt.

On the track running out of the first of three heats of the women’s 100m semifinals on Thursday, Rutherford (freshman) got sixth in 11.40 for 10th overall, while Bethel (junior) came in 18th overall in 11.49 after she got fifth in her heat.

Twanisha Terry, a senior at South Carolina, had the fastest qualifying time of 11.03 in winning the heat that Rutherford competed in. Jayla Kirkland, a junior at Florida State, won Bethel’s heat in 11.30 for the fifth best time.

Bethel, a native from Grand Bahama, was scheduled to come back for her double duty on the first day of the women’s competition in the second heat of the semifinals of the 200m, but she didn’t compete. There was no indication if she suffered any injury from her semi’s of the century.

And in the women’s 400m semifinals, Moss (junior) ran blinded out of lane nine in the first of three heats of the one lap race and was out of contention as she faded to eighth place in 53.26 for 22nd overall.

Athing NMu, a freshman at Texas A&M, took the race in 51.04 for the fourth fastest time for Saturday’s final. University of South Carolina got a 1-2 punch in the last heat from senior Nicole Yeargin (50.96) and junior Bailey Lear (451.02) had the fastest times.

The day began with Rutherford and Bethel running the first two legs as Houston clocked 43.57 for second in their heat for the eighth fastest time going into the final.

The day closed out with the women’s 4 x 400m semifinal as Doneisha Anderson ran a split of 52.20 on the third leg to help Florida take the tape in a season’s best of 3:27.47 to get into Saturday’s final.

And in the third heat with Moss running the second leg, Kentucky also advanced to the final with their third place in 3:32.60 for the ninth fastest time and final spot for the final.

The NCAA Championships got started on Wednesday with the Bahamas showcasing two male competitors in the 200m, but none got into Friday’s final.

Purdue’s senior Samson Colebrooke finished seventh in his heat in 21.01 for 22nd overall, while Grand Bahamian Terrance Jones, a freshman at Texas Tech, did not finish.

Colebrooke, who has already qualified for the postponed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in the 100m, did not qualify for the shorter sprint race for the NCAA Championships.

And in the men's 4 x 100m relay, Jones anchored Texas Tech to fourth in their heat in 39.09 to advance to the final with the eighth best time, while sophomore Adrian Curry ran the third leg for Ohio State as they ended up fourth in their heat in 39.32 for 12th place overall and Colebrooke ran the first two legs as Purdue got seventh in their heat in 39.68 for 19th overall.

Louisiana State University had the fastest qualifying time of 38.66.

Louisiana State University had the fastest qualifying time of 38.66.

Two more Bahamians will go head-to-head today when they compete in Group B in the finals of the triple jump as the men’s competition comes to a close.

LaQuan Nairn, a senior at Arkansas with a season’s best of 53-9 3/4 (16.40m), will be the second of 12 jumpers and Tamar Greene, a junior at Purdue with a SB’s of 52-10 1/4 (16.11m) will jump in the 10th spot.

Group A will also have 12 jumpers as well.

As the meet closes on Saturday, Iowa’s strongwoman Serena Brown will be the sixth of 12 competitors in Group B with her SB’s of 196-2 (59.81m). Another 12 competitors will be in Group A.

And in the women’s triple jump, Washington State’s sophomore Charisma Taylor will be the 10th of 12 competitors in Group A with her SB’s of 44-8 3/4 (13.63m). A total of ten athletes in their individual events and two for relay duties advanced to the NCAA Championships during their respective East and West Regional Qualifiers two weeks ago.