The MVP Track Club pair of Shericka Jackson and Rohan Watson humbled rivals to claim the 100m titles at the JAAA/PUMA National Senior and Junior Championships inside Kingston’s National Stadium on Friday.
Defending champion Jackson, the reigning 200m World Champion and 100m silver medallist, got the perfect start before streaking away from a quality field to smash a World Leading and personal best 10.65 seconds (1.0 mps), winning by over five meters.
Second place went to Sprintec Track Club’s Shashalee Forbes in 10.96 seconds, just ahead of MVP’s Natasha Morrison in 10.98 seconds.
Briana Williams of Titans Track Club finished fourth in 11.01 seconds, with New Era Track Club’s Elaine Thompson-Herah finishing in fifth place in 11.06 seconds, the same time as Ashanti Moore.
Alana Reid was seventh in 11.10 seconds, and Shockoria Wallace of MVP, eighth in 11.21 seconds.
Jackson’s new personal best has bettered the previous World Lead of 10.71 seconds established a day earlier by Sha’Carri Richardson of the US at that country’s National Championships in Eugene.
On the men’s side Watson created a massive upset when he registered a new personal best 9.91 seconds (1.1mps) to upstage his more fancied rivals.
Watson got out of the blocks in good order but was left behind early. However, he lifted his knees over the closing 30 meters and clawed his way to the front to beat Ryiem Forde of Adidas in 9.96 seconds and pre-race favourite Oblique Seville third in 10 seconds.
Highly fancied Ackeem Blake could fare no better than fourth in 10.01 seconds after trailing Forde for most of the way.
Meanwhile, 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake, who was disqualified for false-starting in his preliminary round event on Thursday, won an appeal and was allowed to run by himself later in the night in an effort to make the semi-finals, but his 10.31 seconds effort proved insufficient.
Also of note is that Kishane Thompson of MVP who clocked a surprising 9.91 seconds in the preliminary round on Thursday, failed to show for the semi-finals on Friday.
The men’s 400m hurdles also resulted in a major upset as teenager Roshawn Clarke of Swept Track Club became the second fastest Jamaica over the distance when he clocked a superb 47.85 seconds to dethrone Jaheel Hyde (48.45 seconds) and Assinie Wilson of Titans Track Club in 48.50 seconds.
Clarke, the Austin Sealy Award winner at the 2023 Carifta Games, thus became the World Junior Record holder and the fourth fastest time in the world this year.
Winthrop Graham’s 47.60 seconds set in 1993 is the National Record.
The women’s equivalent proved to be a most competitive affair as defending champion Janieve Russell obliged in an event in which the first four runners went below 54 seconds.
The MVP athlete timed her effort to perfection to win in 53.75 seconds, ahead of Andrenette Knight (PUMA) in 53.78 seconds, and Rushell Clayton (53.81 seconds) of Elite Performance who led in tear-away fashion.
Fourth place went to the fast-finishing Shiann Salmon (ADIDAS) in 53.97 seconds.
In men’s high jump competition, Romaine Beckford won the event with a leap of 2.23m, just ahead of Christoff Bryan of MVP with the same mark. Third place went to G C Foster College’s Lushane Wilson with 2.15m.
The qualifying standard for this event is 2.32m.
In 1500m action, Adelle Tracey of Hoka One One won in 4:19.23 minutes ahead of Aisha Praught-Leer of PUMA in 4:23.05 minutes.
The qualifying mark is 4:22.0 minutes.
In men’s equivalent, Nicholas Power of Jamaica College won in 4:01.81 minutes, ahead of Corlando Chambers of St Jago High School in 4:02.52 minutes and Noel Ellis in 4:10.58 minutes.
While in the women’s discus throw, Samantha Hall of Legacy Athletics won with 59.81m, with Cedricka Williams next with 55.01m, and Shadae Lawrence of Reckless Control in third place with 52.52m.
