Jamaicans set to light up junior college champs

Former Jamaican high school athletes look well set to dominate the three-day National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships set for this week in Hobbs, New Mexico.

The meet, which begins this Thursday, will see nine of these athletes ranked number one in their respective events, led by former Jamaica College jumper Chavez Penn of Barton County College. Penn is the leader in the men's high jump with a clearance of 2.16 metres and also tops the triple jump with 16.17m.

Three other field event athletes, Rajay Hemmings, LeBron James and Celine Riddle, are also highly ranked in their respective events.

Hemmings, formerly of St Catherine High School and now competing for Iowa Western College, is the top seed in the men's shot put with 18.41m and is also ranked number three in the discus with 53.09m.

Riddle, the former Holmwood Technical jumper representing Barton County, leads the women's triple jump with 12.73m and is second in the long jump with 6.09m.

Former Jamaica College thrower, James, competing for host New Mexico Junior College, is the number-one seed in the men's javelin throw with a distance of 75.04 metres.

On the track, former Excelsior High sprinter Damor Miller, competing for Indian Hills Community College, leads the way with a best of 20.39 seconds in the men's 200 metres.

Sprint hurdler Shaquan Gordon, formerly of Calabar High School, and Intermediate hurdler Trevoy Smith, formerly of Herbert Morrison Technical, also lead their respective events.

Gordon, who attends Odessa College, is the top-ranked athlete in the men's 110m hurdles with 13.48 seconds, while Smith leads the men's 400m hurdles with 50.11 seconds.

Two female hurdlers are also ranked number one going into the championships. Asharia Ulett, formerly of St Catherine High, and Charissa December, formerly of Vere Technical.

Ulett, representing Barton County, leads the women's 100m hurdles with 13.50 seconds, while December, who is from Guyana and competes for New Mexico Junior College, tops the women's 400m hurdles with 57.95 seconds.

Several other Jamaicans are also ranked among the top three in their respective events as they look to dominate the championships.