Williams clocks 10.90 in Dom Rep

Twenty-year-old Lavanya Williams has been Jamaica’s breakout female sprinter this season, and on Saturday, at the sixth Félix Sánchez Meet in the Dominican Republic, a World Continental Tour Silver meet, the pint-sized athlete further underlined her growing status.

Competing in the women’s 100 metres, the former William Knibb and Rusea’s High School standout produced a stellar performance. After winning her preliminary-round heat with a legal wind reading of +0.7 metres per second, she sprinted to a personal-best 10.90 seconds in the final to set a new meet record. Her winning mark was the fifth-fastest by a Jamaican woman in the event this season.

Jamaica’s Ashanti Moore finished second in 10.97 seconds, the 12th-fastest time by a Jamaican woman this season, while Liranyi Alonso of the Dominican Republic was third in 11.05.

There were also second-place finishes on the track for former Vere Technical teammates Amoi Brown and Sanique Walker in their respective hurdle events.

Brown, who represented Jamaica in the women’s 100m hurdles at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocked 12.73 seconds for the runner-up spot. Amber Hughes of the United States won in 12.52, while Nigeria’s Adeoubi Tabugbo was third in 13.05.

Walker, who enjoyed her finest moment at this year’s Commonwealth Games when she captured the women’s 400m hurdles title, clocked 54.45 seconds to finish behind Zimbabwe’s Ashley Miller, who won in a meet-record 54.19. Dinodye Denis of Côte d’Ivoire was third in 54.78.

Lloydricia Cameron placed third in the women’s shot put with a throw of 17.50 metres. Rosa Angelica Santana of the Dominican Republic won with 18.39m, ahead of Ecuador’s Balesy Jennifer Quinonez with 17.83m.

Kadrian Goldson, the 2023 World University Games 100m champion, finished second in the men’s 100 metres in a wind-assisted 9.90 seconds. The race, run with a positive wind of 2.4 metres per second, was won by Colombia’s Ronaldo Longa in 9.84, while Ghana’s Abdul Rasheed Saminu was third in 9.94. Jamaica’s Travis Williams finished fifth in 10.00 seconds.

Commonwealth Games 200m bronze medallist Christopher Taylor placed second in the half-lap event, clocking 20.39 seconds. Kyree King of the United States won in 20.28, with Yahundris Smdujar De La Cruz of the Dominican Republic taking third in 20.48.

Malik James-King finished sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles in 50.60 seconds, while Tyler Mason, after placing second in the preliminary round of the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.37 seconds, failed to finish the final.