media_artricles :: 2015

Dynamite Deon - Lendore wins SEC title in 44.41

Trinidad and Tobago's Deon Lendore was on fire at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Mississippi, USA, yesterday. The Texas A&M University senior stopped the clock at 44.41 seconds to strike gold in the men's 400 metres event.

The superb one-lap run earned Lendore a 14-place jump up the 2015 world performance list, from 16th to second. Only Grenada's reigning Olympic champion Kirani James, the world-leader at 44.22, has run faster this season.

The 44.41 clocking is the second best time ever produced by Lendore, behind the 44.36 personal best he ran at the same meet last year to move into second spot on the all-time T&T one-lap list. Ian Morris is at the head of the class with his 44.21 seconds national record.

In yesterday's SEC 400m final, Lendore forced American Vernon Norwood to settle for silver, the Louisiana State University (LSU) student getting home in 44.76.

Lendore signalled his championship race intentions in Friday's preliminary round. The 2012 Olympic Games 4x400m bronze medallist won heat four in 44.88 seconds to emerge as the fastest qualifier. He delivered emphatically in the final.

Meanwhile, at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Championships, in Kansas, South Plains College athlete, Jereem Richards captured the men's 400m title with a 46.23 seconds run.

Kayelle Clarke was golden in the women's 100m final, the New Mexico Junior College freshman clocking 11.68 seconds. Another T&T sprinter, South Plains student Aaliyah Telesford was ninth in 12.21.

Ruebin Walters clocked a personal best 51.18 seconds to seize silver in the men's 400m hurdles. The Central Arizona College freshman also enjoyed a podium finish in the 110m hurdles, claiming bronze in 13.99.

Domonique Williams secured silver in the women's 400m, the South Plains student getting round the track in 53.71 seconds. Western Texas College sophomore, Marissa Gale clocked 56.35 to finish sixth.

Central Arizona's Hezekiel Romeo bagged bronze in the men's shot put with a 17.48 metres throw.

Williams, who finished eighth in the women's 800m final in two minutes, 20.50 seconds, was part of the South Plains team that earned silver in the 4x800m in 9:16.81. And Clarke anchored New Mexico to silver in the women's 4x100m in 46.06 seconds.

After press time, yesterday, Richards, Gale and Clarke were on show in the 200m finals. In Friday's preliminary round, Richards clocked a wind-assisted 20.77 seconds to secure a lane in the men's 200m championship race. Gale clocked a wind-aided 24.10 to reach the women's half-lap final. Clarke also advanced after getting home in a windy 24.14. Telesford, however, was eliminated, after finishing 10th overall with a windy 24.83 run.

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