Seville off the mark with 9.96

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 100 metres gold medallist Oblique Seville started his outdoor season on a positive note on Saturday at the JAAA/Puma All Comers meet inside the National Stadium..

Competing  in the final race of the night, Seville accelerated quickly for  60m before shutting down and cruising over the final 40m to stop the clock at 9.96 seconds. The performance made him the second-fastest Jamaican over 100m this season behind Bryan Levell’s 9.90.

Finishing second in Seville's heat was Sandrey Davidson of SprinTec in 10.22. It placed him third overall, while Seville’s Racers Track Club teammate, Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, showed glimpses of good form after winning his heat in 10.13  into a negative wind of 1.1 metres per second to finish second overall.

The meet, which was well supported by both junior and senior athletes and lasted over four hours, saw several competitors displaying good form ahead of this month’s JAAA National Senior and Junior Championships.

In the women’s 100m, Ashanti Moore looked comfortable in clocking 11.18, while her SprinTec training partner Jodean Williams was second in 11.22. Alana Reid, competing unattached, finished third in 11.31.

Edwin Allen High’s Alexxe Edwards won her heat in 11.38  and was fourth overall. Shameika McLean of Foga Road High, who has been outstanding in the 400m this season, also looked sharp while competing in the 100m for the first time and clocking 11.58 for seventh overall.

Another young athlete, Tashana Godfrey, the Carifta Games Under-17 champion in the 100m hurdles, also looked impressive while competing against more senior athletes for the first time in the  under-20 event. She finished second in 13.98 seconds behind the outstanding Tiana Marshall of Wolmer’s Girls, the Carifta Games Under-20 champion who won in 13.72 into a negative wind of 1.5m per second.

Another young athlete who looked razor-sharp was St Jago High’s Marquies Page. Tackling the senior boys’ hurdles for the first time, he looked outstanding in winning the 110m hurdles in 13.24.

In one of the most exciting and competitive events of the night, schoolboy sensation Jason Pitter of Kingston College defeated several top senior athletes to finish second in the men's 400m in 46.40 seconds. Tajh Marques Whyte  won in 45.91, while third went to Raheem Hayles of Racers Track Club in 46.42.

Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Jones of Lacovia High School sped to 53.55 seconds in winning the  under-17 400m hurdles in his first attempt at the  event. Kingston College’s Rohan McIntosh was second in 53.98.

Romario Stewart of The Mico University College was the fastest among the senior men in the 400m hurdles after winning his heat in 49.82. Malik James-King of Titans Track Club was second-best after winning his heat in 50.14, with teammate Demar Murray second in that heat and third overall in 52.59.

Among the women, Kelly-Ann Carr of Edwin Allen repelled the challenge of Deandre Harris to win the 400m hurdles in 58.78, while Harris clocked 59.00 in what was virtually a match race.

There were also some good performances in the field events. Frederick Dacres, competing unattached in the men’s discus,  threw 63.55m to get the better of Titans’ Kai Chang, who was second with 63.54m. Chad Wright, competing unattached, was third with 62.99m.