Oakley, Walker lead strong Jamaican presence at NCAA Champs

Jamaican collegiate athletes in the United States will make their presence felt when the four-day National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships get under way tomorrow at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Thirty-two athletes will be in action, with 18 competing in the field and 14 on the track.

Leading the track contingent for Jamaica will be the number-one seed, Dejanea Oakley of the University of Georgia, who won the Southeastern Conference Championships in 48.92 seconds. She was also the top qualifier at the Regional Championships two weeks ago, where she clocked 49.48 seconds.

Oakley will be joined in the women's 400 metres by Rushana Dwyer of Northwestern University, who qualified after clocking 50.81 seconds at the Regionals to rank 12th overall.

World number two in the women's 100 metres with 10.80 seconds, Shanese Walker of Florida State, is the next best Jamaican at the meet. Following her victory at the Regional Championships in 10.88 seconds, she will be hoping to improve on her sixth-place finish in the event last year.

Walker will be joined by two other Jamaicans in the event. Carleta Bernard of the University of Texas clocked 11.01 seconds at the Regional Championships to rank 12th overall, while Gabrielle Matthews of the University of Florida recorded 11.02 seconds to sit 13th overall. Matthews will also contest the women's 200 metres, where her 22.78-second run at the Regionals sees her heading into the championships ranked 15th.

Three sprint hurdlers will represent Jamaica in the women's 100m hurdles, led by Janela Spencer of Ohio State University, whose 12.79-second performance at the Regionals ranks her seventh. Oneika Wilson of Clemson University, with 12.88 seconds, is 10th, while Toni-Ann Forbes of Texas Tech, with 12.92 seconds, is ranked 14th.

Shantae Foreman of Clemson leads the way among the female field-event athletes, having qualified in two events. She booked her place in the long jump with 6.47 metres and in the triple jump with 13.49 metres. She will be joined in the long jump by Aaliyah Lindsay of Kansas State University, who has a mark of 6.55 metres, while Machaeda Linton of Texas A&M University qualified for the triple jump with 13.31 metres.

Brittanie Johnson of Purdue University, with 16.91 metres in the shot put, and Abigail Martin of Texas A&M, with 57.89 metres in the discus throw, complete the list of female Jamaican qualifiers.

Regional top qualifier in the men's 400 metres, Kimar Farquharson of Texas A&M University, with a time of 45.30 seconds, heads the Jamaican contingent in the men's track events.

The University of Arkansas duo of Tyrice Taylor, who is second with 1:44.35, and Rivaldo Marshall, third with 1:45.10, are the top Jamaican contenders in the men's 800 metres. Marshall finished third in last year's final.

Demario Prince of Baylor University will be among three Jamaican men contesting the 110m hurdles. His 13.22-second run and fifth-place ranking at the Regionals leads the way. He will be joined by Sharvis Simmonds of Clemson, who clocked 13.39, and Jerome Campbell, who qualified with 13.42.

A record six Jamaicans have qualified in the men's discus throw, led by defending champion Ralford Mullings of the University of Arkansas. Mullings heads the field after being the top performer at the Regionals with 64.51 metres. Shemar Reid of Florida State is second with 64.22m, University of South Carolina’s Racquil Broderick is third with 62.66m, and Trevor Gunzell of the University of Alabama is fourth with 61.77m. They will be joined by Chad Hendricks of Louisiana State University (LSU) with 58.30m and Christopher Young of the University of Alabama with 58.26m.

The other Jamaicans who have qualified are Jordon Turner of LSU in the long jump with 7.91 metres, Apalos Edwards of Kansas State in the triple jump with 16.65m, and Shaquain Dunn of the University of Texas in the shot put with 18.81m. Dunn will be joined by Kobe Lawrence of the University of Oregon, who has a best mark of 18.69m.

Brandon Falconer of Mount St Mary's University and Jamar Ferguson of Louisiana will complete the Jamaican representation as they contest the javelin throw.