48 Jamaicans to compete at NCAA Division 1 Champs

THE FOUR-DAY National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 1 Track and Field Championships gets under way tomorrow at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon and 48 Jamaicans will be in action during the meet.

Twenty-five men and 23 women punched individual tickets to the big meet. The men will be in action on the opening day and they will close out their competition on Friday. The women will compete on Thursday and Saturday.

World Championships representative Ackelia Smith has qualified for two events. The University of Texas athlete is the top seed in both the women's long and triple jump. Smith, winner of the triple jump in 2023, qualified for the event with 14.31 metres she has a qualifying mark of 6.86m for the long jump.

Shantae Foreman who competes for Clemson University is the second seed in the triple jump with 13.95m while Rhiana Phipps will also contest the event. Phipps, a student at the University of Nebraska, is ranked number nine with a best of 13.67m.

Three other Jamaicans will join Smith in the long jump. Her teammate at Texas, Aaliah Foster, Velecia Williams and Nia Robinson. Foster is ranked seventh with 6.65m. Williams who attends Kansas State University is ninth ranked with 6.56m while Robinson of the University of Arkansas is ranked 10th with 6.55m.

On the track Brianna Lyston will also contest two events. Lyston, the top Jamaican woman in both the 100 and 200 metres this year, qualified at the regional meet with 10.99 for the 100m and is ranked fifth. In the 200m she is rankled 21st with 22.82. Lyston of the Louisiana State University has season''s best of 10.91 for the 100m and 22.31 for the 200m.

Shenese Walker of Florida State with 11.09 will join Lyston in the 100m as the 17th ranked athlete. Dejanea Oakley of the University of Texas with a best of 22.32 is the fourth ranked athlete in the 200m while Niesha Burgher of the University of Texas, El Paso with 22.48 is ranked at number eight.

World Championships representative Nickeisha Pryce will go into the championships as the top seed in the 400m. Pryce who attends the University of Arkansas qualified from the regional meet with 49.93.

High jumper Romaine Beckford is the top Jamaican male going into the championships. Beckford (2.20m) won the men's high jump last year while competing for South Florida. The 2023 World Championships representative moved to the University of Arkansas at the start of 2023-24 academic year.

National representative Wayne Pinnock is the next best male qualifier. Competing for the University of Arkansas, Pinnock, the world leader in the men's long jump with 8.40m, qualified at number two with 8.03m.

Joining Pinnock in the long jump are Nikaoli Williams of the Oklahoma State University who is third ranked with 7.99m and Florida State University's Jordan Turner who is ranked 12th with 7.74m.