Sport

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

Greensboro, North Carolina: Six Jamaicans booked their tickets to the NCAA Division I championships on Friday's second day of the East NCAA Division I Track and Field championships on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The athletes braved heavy thunderstorms and lightning to secure their places in the NCAA Division I championships which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 9-12. The most impressive performance came from former Queen's High sprinter and current Louisiana State University (LSU) student Samantha Henry. Henry clocked an impressive 11.16 seconds, the fastest time of the day, to win her 100 metres semi-final.

Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, competing for the University of Connecticut, also advanced as she finished third in her semi-final in 11.40 seconds to be the eighth-fastest qualifier. Both athletes were also hoping to advance in the 200 metres as Henry (22.99) won her heat to be the fastest qualifier while Hawthorne (23.38) was second in her heat. The final was set for last night.

personal best

Mississippi State University's Jodyann Muir and Crystal Wilson both advanced in the 400 metres. Muir, formerly of Wolmer's Girls, and who is eligible for the World Junior Championships in July, won her semi-final in 52.79 seconds. In the same heat, Wilson, a former Queen's High athlete, clocked a personal best of 53.11 for fourth.

Former St Jago High 400-metre runner Dwight Mullings, competing for Mississippi State University, was second in his semi-final of the men's 400 metres in a season-best 45.12. The time is the fastest by a Jamaican this year.

Former Edwin Allen High 800-metre runner, Kayann Thompson, will also be in Oregon. Competing for LSU, she clocked 2:03.58 to finish third in her semi-final.

At the west region meet in Austin, Texas, another former Edwin Allen athlete, Andrea Sutherland, also advanced to the NCAA championships. The Texas A&M junior finished fourth in her semi-final of the 400-metre hurdles in 58.20 seconds to grab the 12th and final place.

Texas A&M's Natasha Ruddock, the top female 100-metre hurdler in that region, will not compete in Oregon. She sustained an injury during her warm-up for the preliminary round and was forced to withdraw from the event.