media_artricles :: 2014

Davis to defend NCAA title

McShine qualifies for Commonwealth Games

Texas A&M University student Wayne Davis II clocked a personal best 13.20 seconds to finish first in heat one and second overall in the men’s 110 metres hurdles, at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) West Preliminary meet, in Arkansas, USA, on Saturday night.

Davis is fourth on the 2014 world performance list with his 13.20 run.

Davis and another Trinidad and Tobago athlete, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Durell Busby have earned the right to compete in the men’s sprint hurdles at the June 11-14 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Oregon. Davis is the reigning champion.

At the West Preliminary meet, Busby was third in heat two and eighth overall in 13.67 seconds.

Deborah John will also be in Oregon for the NCAA Championships. The North Dakota State University student clocked a wind-assisted 13.30 seconds in Arkansas to finish fourth in heat one in the women’s 100m hurdles, qualifying for the national meet as a “fastest loser”. John had produced a wind-legal 13.50 run in the opening round.

At the John Hay Memorial Distance Festival, in Pennsylvania, on Friday, Pilar McShine achieved the Commonwealth Games standard in the women’s 1500m. The T&T athlete finished fourth in four minutes, 19.85 seconds—15-hundredths of a second faster than the 4:20.00 Commonwealth qualifying time.

“It was my second race for the year,” McShine told the Express, “as I’ve been struggling with Achilles and calf issues. But I am finally getting healthy and back to racing again which is always very exciting. The race went out pretty slow from the gun, but still I’m happy to get the Commonwealth standard out of the way so I can focus on my training.”

Another T&T middle distance runner, Jamaal James secured fourth in the men’s 800m. James completed his two laps of the track in 1:48.88—the third time in four outings this season he has dived under the 1:49.60 Commonwealth standard.

“After I opened up with my fastest opener ever (1:47.60),” said James, “thereby getting the Glasgow standard out the way early, my coach and I decided to get back to some base work just to make sure I don’t peak too early.”

The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be staged in Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3.

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