media_artricles :: 2014

Lalonde opens season with 200m win

Double Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon opened his 2014 season with a victory in the men’s 200m at the New York University Shoot Out meet in New York on Saturday. Gordon clocked 20.95 to top the first heat and recorded the fastest overall time. Gordon rose to fame after he won bronze in the men’s 400m at the 2012 London Olympics in 44.52 and led TT’s men’s 4x400m team to bronze in a national record of 2:59.40.

The 25-year-old, speaking on his Facebook page after the race, said he was thankful to God to finish the race healthy and injury free.

Alena Brooks and Shauna Mason also sped to victories. Brooks took the women’s 600m at the North West Open in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minnesota University student crossed the line in 1:29.65 while Mason of South Plains College was the quickest in the women’s 55m finals at the Texas Tech Open in Lubbock, Texas. Mason stopped the clock in 7.02 in the finals and led the way in the semifinals (7.05) and preliminaries (7.11). Kernesha Spann and Jessica James recorded fifth place finishes in the 600m event in separate meets. Spann (Western Texas) was fifth in the three lap indoor race in 1:26.37 while at the Holiday Inn Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska, James (Iowa Central) was also fifth in 1:35.32. James also helped Iowa Central to third in the women’s 4x400m in 3:50.94.

Olympic bronze medallist Jarrin Solomon won the men’s 600m at the Lobo Collegiate Indoor meet in Alburqueque, New Mexico on Saturday. Solomon completed the three lap indoor race in 1:17.34 to finish more than three seconds ahead of Kory Smith (BYU) 1:20.51. Solomon ran the second leg on TT’s bronze medal men’s 4x400m team at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The 27-year-old was among several local athletes to record wins on the US indoor circuit.

Carisa Leacock took the women’s long jump title at the Iowa Big 4 Dual in Iowa City, Iowa. Leacock (Iowa) won with a third round leap of 5.73m and also finished second in the triple jump with a distance of 12.17m. Deborah John sped to victory in the women’s 60m hurdles finals at the Bison Classic in Fargo, North Dakota with a clocking of 8.60 seconds. John was the quickest in the heats in 8.96.

Emmanuel Stewart won the men’s weight throw at the Father Diamond Invitational in Fairfax, Virginia on January 11. The Morgan State University student captured the event with a toss of 18.09. The 2008 Carifta boys under 20 discus champion was also third at the University of Albany Great Dane Classic in New York on January 17 with distance of 18.92.

At the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Maryland, Deandra Daniel missed out on the top spot in the women’s long jump. The Coppin State student had a best mark of 5.56m but had to settle for second behind Dominican Thea La Fond (Maryland) 6.16. Daniel was also sixth in the triple jump (10.63m). Jamol James (Tenessee) copped bronze in the men’s 60m finals at the Virginia Tech Invitational, Blackburg, Virginia. The 2010 World Junior bronze medallist crossed the line in 6.76. In the heats earlier in the day, James was second fastest (6.83). James and his Tennessee University teammates were sixth in the men’s 4x400m in 3:17.70. Veteran sprinter Marc Burns was fifth in the men’s 60m finals at the Auburn Indoor Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama in 6.74. Burns improved on his 6.76 clocking in the heats where he was sixth quickest.

Earlier in the season, Wayne Davis 11 (Texas A&M) sped to victory in the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.85 at the Reveille Invitational (College Station, Texas). The reigning NCAA Outdoor 110m champion was also 11th in the 60m flat in 6.88m. School-mate Deon Lendore was part of Texas A&M’s victorious men’s 4x400m team in 3:07.14. Another Texas A&M student Janiel Belille was third in the women’s 200m in 23.74. Michelle Lee Ahye was sixth (24.63). Lee Ahye was also eight in the 60m finals in 7.61.

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