Home|Sports|Jones, Strachan post world-leading timesSports
Jones qualified for World Championship
Simba FrenchSend an emailApril 3, 2023 230 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
Bahamians Keyshawn Strachan and Terrence Jones put on a show at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, at the Texas Relays at the Mike A. Myers Stadium this past weekend. Strachan lowered his own national record to win the javelin throw to secure the world-leading distance; while Jones won the 200 meters (m) to have the world-leading time in that event and qualified for the World Championships, set for Budapest, Hungary this summer.
Jones, the reigning National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) DI 60m champion, got his outdoor season underway in the 200m race where he blazed the track to clock 20.05 seconds. That time qualified him for the World Championships, as he surpassed the qualifying time of 20.16 seconds. It was also a personal best and a meet record for the Texas Tech Raid Raider athlete, as he ran in his first 200m race since 2021. Not only did he put his competitors on the NCAA DI circuit on notice, but he also put the world on notice as he has the world leading time in that event. He replaces Bahamian Olympic gold medalist in the 400m Steven ‘Speedy” Gardiner at the top of the list.
The Grand Bahama native is at the top of the list in the NCAA DI and is the number five fastest time for a Texas Tech athlete.
Finishing second behind him in that race was Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi, who clocked 20.07 seconds. Jones’ teammate Courtney Lindsey posted a time of 20.11 seconds to finish third.
Strachan who competes for Auburn University Tigers, was intentional with his second attempt in his collegiate debut. He threw the javelin for 84.27m (276’ 5-3/4”) which was a new Bahamian national record, a school record, world-leading throw and ranked at number one in the NCAA DI standings. Additionally, the 19-year-old has the fourth best throw in NCAA history.
He lowered his own national record of 79.89m (262’) and it was the first time he threw over the 80-meter mark. He easily broke the school record which was 76.14m (249’ 10”) and the freshman record, which was 73.03m (239’ 7”).
Placing second was Baylor University’s Chinecherem Nnamdi with a throw of 79.98m (262’ 4-3/4”). Tracksmith’s Curtis Thompson was third when he posted 79.29m (260’ 1-3/4”).
It was a good start to his collegiate career and will be looking to qualify for the World Championships. The qualifying standard for that meet is 85.20m (279’ 6-1/4”)
Also competing at the Texas Relays and seeing a busy schedule was Anthaya Charlton. She was in action for her University of Kentucky Wildcats in the 100m, the 4x100m and the long jump events.
Charlton ran a personal best in the 100m when she clocked a personal best 11.13 seconds to place second. The University of Mississippi Rebel’s McKenzie Long ran 11 seconds. Finishing behind Charlton in third place was the Red Raiders’ Rosemary Chukwuma, in 11.21 seconds.
The Wildcat got a bronze finish in the long jump event with a leap of 6.52m (21’ 4-3/4”). That leap came on her fifth jump. Bahamian Charisma Taylor was fourth in that event leaping to 6.41m (21’ 1/4”).
The University of Texas Longhorns’ Ackelia Smith won that event when she posted 6.57m (21’ 6-3/4”). Nipping Charlton for second place was the University of Louisville Cardinals’ Synclair Savage with a leap of 6.53m (21’ 5-1/4”).
Charlton ran the second leg for her 4x100m relay team that placed second with a time of 42.81. Running on the Wildcats’ team were Victoria Perrow, Masai Russell and Karimah Davis.
Winning that race was the Longhorns with a collegiate and meet record of 42 seconds flat. Louisiana State University Tigers placed third in 43.30 seconds.
Taylor was 10th in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.16 seconds and did not qualify for the final.
Shaun Miller Jr. was first in the collegiate division in the high jump when he cleared 2.20m (7’ 2-1/2”). Auburn’s Dontavious Hill and South Plains College’s Kudakwashe Chadenga were tied for second at the same height as Miller.
The Red Raiders team also featured Antoine Andrews in the 110m hurdles. He placed 17th in the preliminaries with a time of 13.72 seconds and did not qualify for the final.
Wanya McCoy helped his Clemson University Tigers to victory in the sprint medley. He ran the third leg as they won with a time of 3:14.02. The Longhorns was second after clocking 3:14.81. Third place was secured by Arizona State University in 3:15.17.
The Clemson sophomore ran 10.21 seconds but finished seventh in the 100m final. The University of Northern Iowa’s Isaiah Trousil won with a time of 10.16 seconds.
Gardiner is ranked at number four on the 200m list this season with a time of 20.14 seconds. Gardiner did that time at the Florida Relays at the Percy Beard Track Field Stadium on Friday. The Abaco native sprinted away from the field as his only competitor was the clock.
Trevor Bassitt, who ran unattached, clocked 20.53 seconds to finish second. Crossing the finish line in a close third was Puma’s Matthew Husdon-Smith in 20.56 seconds.