Sprinters, hurdlers score indoors

There were important wins for Jamaicans on the US indoor college circuit on the weekend. Running for Georgia Tech and Florida State University, respectively, Jenine Williams and Edward Clarke triumphed in the women's 60-metre hurdles and the men's 60 metres at the ACC Conference Championships, which were held at Clemson University in South Carolina. Elsewhere in the US, Waseem Williams gave Purdue University a win in the Big 10 Conference meet in Ohio.

A solid sprinter and hurdler at Immaculate Conception, Williams squeaked home to win the hurdles 8.04 to 8.05 seconds over Cortney Jones of Florida State University. Jamaicans helped Florida State to win both the men's and women's team titles. Clarke led a Jamaican-Florida State 1-2 in the 60, with Andre Ewers also timed in 6.64 seconds. Ewers came back to win to the 200 metres in 20.66 seconds.

The Florida State women got a one-two in the 200m from Ka'tia Seymour and former Wolmer's Girls speed merchant Shauna Helps, who clocked 23.20 seconds. In the shot put, Gleneve Grange came close to her personal best with a throw of 17.19 metres to help with second place.

Williams, a World Youth representative during his days at Jamaica College, went a smidgen quicker than Clarke to win the 60 metres at the Big 10 Conference Championships. His victory came in 6.63 seconds.

The Jamaican pair of University of Texas teammates O'Brien Wasome and Rushelle Burton both had runner-up finishes in the Big 12 Conference meet at Iowa State University. Wasome, the former Jamaica College captain, spanned 16.47 metres in the triple jump. Burton, the 2016 World Under-20 100-metre hurdles silver medal winner, missed the gold in the 60-metre hurdles by just 0.04 to Bahamian Olympic finalist Pedra Seymour, who won in 8.09 seconds. That result gave Texas a one-two finish.