SEVERAL FORMER local high school stars did very well at the weekend in the NJCAA Indoor Championships held in Carbondale, Illinois and the N.A.I.A Indoor Track and Field Championships in Tennessee.
Competing at the NJCAA Meet, former St. Jago High athlete Melaine Walker won the 60m hurdles and placed second in the 400m. After a quiet start to the season, Walker, the World Junior Championships 400m hurdles silver medallist, now competing for Essex County College in New Jersey, won the 60m event in 8.39 to erase the meet record of 8.41, set by Andrea Bliss in 2001. Jamaica's World Junior representative, Kasai Williams, competing for Barton County College, was second in 8.57.
In the 400m, Walker had to play second fiddle to former Vere Technical High school athlete Patricia Hall. Competing for Barton County College, Hall won in 54.78 seconds with Walker second in 55.41.
Former Holmwood Technical athlete, Karen Gayle, also maintained her good form this season as she won the 600m. Competing for Barton County College, Gayle won in 1:27.98 as former St. Jago High school representative, Tamara Thomas of Essex County College, was second in 1:33.93.
Another former Holmwood Technical athlete, Aneita Denton of Barton County, also had a victory in the 800m in 2:10.54. Former Vere Technical standout Keisha McKenzie who now attends Essex County College was second in 2:13.87.
Althea Chambers, formerly of St. Jago, could only manage third place in the women's 1000 metres in 3:01.10.
On the male side, former Vere Technical sprint star Steve Mullings had mixed results. Competing for Barton County College, Mullings who has been named in Jamaica's team to this weekend's World Indoor Championships in Birmingham won the 60m in 6.68. However, he was disqualified in the 200 metres.
At the N.A.I.A Championships, former Immaculate Conception High school athlete, Kereecia Thompson, led the way. Competing for Mid-America Naz College, Thompson won the 55m hurdles in 7.89 seconds.
Another World Indoor Championships representative, Melocia Clarke of Central State University, was also in action. After taking the long jump with 5.88m, she had to settle for a third place finish in the 55m in 7.16 seconds.
Former Kingston College sprinter Marlon Barnaby, competing for McKendrea College, took silver in the 55m in 6.34 seconds while former St. Elizabeth Technical athlete Judith Patterson, competing for Southern University of New Orleans, could only manage a fifth place finish in the 800m in 2:17.80.
