media_artricles :: 2018

Richards, Lendore, Gordon, Borel earn podium spots

T&T's Jereem Richards, Deon Lendore, Lalonde Gordon and Cleopatra Borel were fantastic on the weekend, putting on some bold performances to reach the podium at their respective meets.

Richards, Lendore and Gordon entertained along with a number of local college athletes in the United States while Borel excelled in Chile.

Richards in his season opener at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic indoor meet in Albuquerque won gold in the men's 200 metres dash in a time of 20.52 seconds.

The 200m bronze and 4x400m gold medallist at the IAAF World Championships in London, England, finished first overall, while Louisiana State University (LSU) sophomore Akanni Hislop, who won the 200m "C" race, crossing in 21.15 was fifth overall.

Another T&T sprinter Xavier Mulugata of LSU raced at the Bayou Bengal hosted by his school and he placed 11th in the men's 60m in 6.95.

University of Alabama senior Ruebin Walters won his fourth-straight 60m hurdles race in four outings this season in a time of 7.64, the fourth-fastest time in school's history. Walters' preliminary time of 7.71 is the sixth-best ever at Alabama.

His performance helped the Alabama men's track and field team move up one spot to No 5, while the Crimson Tide women jumped five places to No 17 in the latest US Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) regular-season indoor rankings released yesterday.

T&T's Mauricia Prieto is part of the women's team. On Friday, she was third in her section in the women's 200m in 23.94, placing 11th overall.

Another local athlete Asa Guevara of University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was active at the meet where he copped silver in the men's 400m in 46.57.

Lendore's success came at the Charlie Thomas Invitational at the Texas A&M-Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium on Saturday when he won silver in the men's 400m. He followed Grenadian Bralon Taplin to the line in 45.85. Taplin was a comfortable winner in 44.88.

Another T&T quartermiler Jamil James faced the starter in the one-lap event and he was eighth in 49.24. The day before James raced in the 300m and he placed fifth in 34.90.

Texas A&M freshman Tyra Gittens also took home a medal, a bronze in the women's high jump event. Her best mark measured 1.75m.

Gittens also competed in the 200m, placing 19th overall in a time of 25.09 and was a member of the Texas 4x400m relay team, who was ninth in 4:01.64.

At the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Millrose Games in New York on Saturday, Gordon, a double Olympic bronze medallist, bagged bronze in the men's 400m in 47.24.

Dawnel Collymore also collected a bronze medal at the meet when her Monroe College team placed third in the women's 4x400m relay event in 3:55.26.

Also that day, Borel got her season off right winning the women's shot put event at the International Launch Meeting in Temuco. Her toss of 17.93m earned her the top spot.

"Today's (Saturday) meet in Temuco was what my coach and I were looking for. We wanted to build a solid base with my technique and improve on the distances we're getting in training, and we were able to do that," Borel said after her win.

"We're just looking to improve upon what we did today and that's how we're going for the entire year, just taking it step by step everyday, trying to get a little bit better."

In Lexington, Kentucky at the Rod McCravy Memorial, University of Kentucky freshman Dwight St Hillaire won gold in the men's 400m, hitting the line at 46.20. He also picked up a bronze in the men's 4x400 relay final in 3:09.86.

St Hillaire schoolmate Kayelle Clarke also celebrated a good performance in finishing second in the women's 200m in 23.38. This after the senior student/athlete false started in the 60m. She also raced in the 4x400m relay and her team's 3:44.00-clocking placed them sixth.

Quinn-Lee Ralph emerged the gold medallist of the men's 60m dash at the ONU Invitational in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He crossed in 6.80 seconds to reach the top of the podium.

At the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite, Central Florida freshman Sara Wollaston's time of 7.69 was the 12th fastest time in the women's 60m but not quick enough to reach the final. In the 200m, she clocked 25.69 to place 32nd overall.

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