media_artricles :: 2013

TT athletes for NCAA Indoor Meet

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s foreign-based track and field athletes will continue their indoor competitive campaigns when they line up for their respective colleges at the American NCAA Division One Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, which gets underway today and concludes Sunday.

National quarter-miler and current leader of the world indoor 400m rankings, Deon Lendore is expected to maintain his dominance when he races off in the event at the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Arkansas, today. The Texas A&M athlete presently leads the 2013 NCAA standings after producing the fastest time of the season (45.91 seconds) last month.

Compatriots, Wayne Davis II and Janiel Bellille will also be in action at this meet in their respective events. Davis II, who is fifth on the Big 12 standings, will be vying for top honours in the 60m hurdles while Bellille is scheduled for the Women’s 400m. This will be Bellille’s first Conference Championships.

Lendore’s Texas A&M relay team is determined to capture the 4x400m title but will face stiff opposition against Florida, the fastest team in the NCAA. Bellille and her Texas A&M teammates will also do battle against Sparkle McKnight’s Arkansas outfit in the Women’s 4x400m. McKnight will also vie for honours in the 400m event.

At the same meet, Auburn sprinter Kai Selvon will be working towards retaining her Women’s 60m title, which she claimed in 2012 in a personal best time of 7.20s. She will also be competing in the 200m event and hoping to go one-up from her silver medal performance last year.

Shot-putter, Hilenn James (Georgia) also intends to better her bronze medal effort last year. James is currently ranked at number two in the SEC with a personal best of 16.80, some seven centimetres behind the current leader. Tennesee athlete, Jamol James will contest the Men’s 60m. He is presently fifth on the performance list with a personal best equalling run of 6.73s in January.

At the Big Ten Conference Championships in Ohio, Aleena Brooks (Minnesota) will line up in the Women’s 400m and 600m. Brooks is currently second in the 600m rankings and 10th in the 400m. Carisa Leacock (Iowa) is scheduled to participate in the Women’s long jump and triple jump where she is rated at 10th and 11th respectively.

Another national athlete, Deborah John (North Dakota State) will be hoping to successfully defend her Women’s 60m/60m hurdles double crown at the Summit League Champs in South Dakota. John sits in pole position on the 60m hurdles and second in the 60m flat rankings.

Portland State’s Gerrone Black will also be in action when she attempts to defend her Women’s 60m title at the Big Sky Champs in Bonzeman, Montana. Black presently leads the conference standings with a pb of 7.27s.

Additionally, Kashef Daniel (Arksanas State) is expected to put on a fine showing in the Men’s high jump at the Sun Belt Conference Champs in Arkansas. He enters this meet with the second best mark of 2.10. T’keyah Dumoy (Florida International) will also attempt to secure a podium finish in the Women’s 55m event. She will be hoping to better her 2012 bronze medal effort.

Similarly, another national Kendal Bacchus (Mid-Tennessee) would be hoping to improve on his bronze medal run in last year’s men’s 200m finals and also to advance to the 55m medal round. In the Atlantic Sun Conference Champs in Tennessee, Jacksonville’s Akeela Bravo will be hoping to cop gold in the Women’s shot put after bagging silver last year.

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