Texas Tech sophomore runs blazing PB; leads eight Bahamians to NCAA Championships
Sheldon LongleySend an emailMay 30, 2022 343 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
Bahamian Terrence Jones has arrived.
The collegiate sophomore for the Texas Tech Red Raiders became the latest Bahamian to qualify for the World Athletics (WA) World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA, this summer, running a blazing personal best of 10.03 seconds in the quarterfinals of the men’s 100 meters (m) at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I West Preliminaries at the John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, over the weekend. The qualifying standard for the world championships is 10.05 seconds.
Jones, just 19 years old, finished second in his quarterfinal heat and qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships third overall out of the west region.
He also solidifies himself as the third-fastest Bahamian in history with the stunning time behind national record holder Derrick Atkins and Samson Colebrooke, taking six one-hundredths of a second off his previous personal best time that was ran at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, last month. Jones’ 10.03 time is the fifth-fastest mark in school history and he become the second-fastest sprinter in program history behind Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru.
Jones ran 10.34 seconds in the first round of the west preliminaries and was significantly better in the quarters, nearly cracking the 10-second barrier. He is the second Bahamian to qualify for the Eugene World Championships in the men’s 100m, giving the country two competitors in that event at the world championships for the first time.
It’s likely Jones will run on Texas Tech’s 4x100m relay team in Eugene which qualified fourth overall out of the west preliminaries in 38.82 seconds without Jones.
Joining Jones at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships out of the west preliminaries, among Bahamians, was Kyle Alcine in the men’s high jump.
Alcine, a senior at Kansas State, had a clearance of 2.15m (7’ 0-3/4”), finishing up 10th in the west preliminaries. The top 12 advanced to Eugene.
Camille Rutherford, a sophomore at Houston, was 21st overall in the women’s 100m in 11.31 seconds. She ran 11.55 seconds in the first round.
Gabrielle Gibson, a senior for Oral Roberts University, finished 22nd overall in the women’s 100m hurdles, in 13.40 seconds. She ran 13.42 seconds in the first round. Indea Cartwright, a sophomore at Oral Roberts, finished 38th overall in 13.73 seconds.
Bradley Dormeus, a senior at Oral Roberts, ran both the 200m and 400m but failed to qualify for the NCAA Championships in either event. He was 32nd overall in the 200m in 21.06 seconds and 39th overall in the men’s 400m in 47.36 seconds.
Daejha Moss, a senior at North Dakota State University, finished in an eight-way tie for 24th in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.71m (5’ 7-1/4”).
Over at the east preliminaries at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex in Bloomington, Indiana, Shaun Miller Jr. continued an impressive season, winning the men’s high jump with a clearance of 2.18m (7’ 1-3/4”), clearing the bar on his first attempt at that height.
The Ohio State freshman has a personal best clearance of 2.26m (7’ 5”), done at the 126th running of the Penn Relays at historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this year. Also in that high jump competition in Bloomington, competing on his home track as a senior at Indiana University, Bahamian Jyles Etienne finished in a three-way tie for 28th overall with a clearance of 2.05m (6’ 8-3/4”).
Rhema Otabor qualified fourth overall in the women’s javelin. The Florida International University (FIU) sophomore thrower had a heave of 52.42m (172’) to finish fourth in the competition and book her ticket to the NCAA Division I Championships in Eugene.
Charisma Taylor, a junior for the Tennessee Volunteers, qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships fifth overall out of the east preliminaries, in the women’s triple jump.
Taylor had a best leap of 13.13m (43’ 1”).
Competing in the men’s 200m, Clemson freshman Wanya McCoy qualified fifth overall, running a huge personal best of 20.48 seconds into a negative 2.5 meters per second (mph) wind in the quarterfinals. McCoy ran 20.55 seconds in the first round.
McCoy also ran on the Clemson Tigers men’s 4x400m relay team which qualified fifth overall in 3:03.65. He ran the lead-off leg for the Tigers.
Megan Moss, a sophomore at Kentucky, finished tied for 10th overall in the women’s 400m, in a personal best of 52.07 seconds. She ran 52.14 seconds in the heats. Moss also ran on the Kentucky Wildcats’ 4x400m relay team, running the second leg. They won that race in a facility record of 3:26.90, easily qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships.
Doneisha Anderson, a junior at the University of Florida, was 30th overall in the women’s 400m in 53.68 seconds, and did not run on the Florida Gators’ 4x400m relay team which qualified second behind Kentucky in 3:27.37.
Marissa White, a senior at Temple University, was scheduled to run the women’s 400m but didn’t line up at the starting line.
Adrian Curry, a junior at Ohio State University, will represent his school in the men’s 4x100m relay at the NCAA Division I Championships. Curry ran the third leg for the Ohio State Buckeyes which finished third in their heat and 2th overall in 39.63 seconds.
Oscar Smith, a sophomore, competed in the men’s 110m hurdles for Ohio State and finished 14th overall in 13.72 seconds, just missing a top 12 qualifying spot. He ran 13.76 seconds in the first round.
Sasha Wells, a senior at Florida, finished 18th overall in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.51 seconds. She ran 13.45 seconds in the first round.
Tamar Greene, a senior at Purdue, finished 21st overall in the men’s triple jump with a best leap of 15.38m (50’ 5-1/2”).
The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships is set for June 8-11, 2022 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.