By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterJAMAICAN SPRINTER Veronica Campbell made her long anticipated return to the track with a sparkling display at last Friday's Arkansas Invitational Track and Field meet at the Randal Tyson Track Complex in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Running on University of Arkansas' mile relay team, Campbell, the Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist, produced a sensational 51.89 second leg split, which was the fastest of the meet.
University of Arkansas finished second in 3:41.27 behind college kingpins Louisiana State University (LSU) in 3:38.67.
FIRST OUTING
It was Campbell's first outing in the last 10 months after being sidelined by a hamstring injury she suffered while running for Barton County Junior College towards the end of the 2003 indoor season.
In an interview with The Gleaner on Saturday night her coach, Orlando Greene, called Campbell's run "outstanding".
"There wasn't a time in that 400m where she flatted, she was beautiful, she came though the 200m in about 23.9 and moved though very controlling.
"In my humble opinion, the sky is the limit for Veronica (Campbell). When she is really, really ready to run fast, the track and field world is going to see something outstanding," Greene said of the former national sprint champion.
He added: "She was the highlight of the evening. I can tell you that Jamaica has got an ambassador in this young woman."
Despite the Dave Walker/Niswonger Invitational just three days away in Johnson City, Tennessee, Greene said he has not yet decided if Campbell, a former World Junior Championships double sprint champion, will line up in the 60 -metre dash.
"We have to take into consideration a lot of facts, the quality of competition and who she is going to line-up against."
TYSON INVITATIONAL
However, he said she will "...definitely (run) at the Tyson Invitational, which is one of the Golden Spike. She will run.
"That will be right around the time when we really look for her to run exceedingly fast. Right now she is in such good shape, she is so efficient right now. In my humble opinion she will run exceedingly fast whenever we put her on the track, she proved that yesterday (Friday)," Greene said of the former Vere Technical star.
"When you see a young athlete control 51 seconds and it looks as if she were dragging, she did not look as if she was putting any work in. She came though the 300m in 37.2," the coach also pointed outplained.
