Jamaican athletes Rohan Watson, Rusheen McDonald, and Ackelia Smith excelled at the Miramar Invitational, winning events in sprinting and jumping. Watson triumphed in the men’s 100m with a wind-aided time of 9.99 seconds, McDonald won the 300m, and Smith began her outdoor long jump season successfully. Notable performances were also recorded by Briana Williams and Shericka Jackson, contributing to a strong showing from Jamaica.
The Miramar Invitational, a prestigious World Athletics Continental Tour-Silver event held at the Ansin Sports Complex in Florida, showcased notable performances from Jamaican athletes Rohan Watson, Rusheen McDonald, and Ackelia Smith. Watson emerged victorious in the men’s 100m race, clocking a remarkable wind-aided time of 9.99 seconds, following an earlier qualification of 10.03 seconds. He was closely followed by Yohan Blake, who finished second with 10.06 seconds.
Rusheen McDonald distinguished himself by winning the 300m event in a time of 32.39 seconds, while Ackelia Smith made an impressive start to her outdoor season by leaping 6.74m in the long jump. In this event, Tissana Hanson placed fourth with a wind-aided distance of 6.63m.
Briana Williams, another prominent Jamaican sprinter, finished second in the women’s 100m, with a wind-aided time of 11.07 seconds, trailing behind American Kayla White, who won the event in 10.99 seconds. Natasha Morrison came in third place at 11.08 seconds, and Serena Cole finished fifth with a time of 11.25 seconds.
Shericka Jackson also delivered an outstanding performance, achieving a personal best of 36.13 seconds in the women’s 300m, marking the third-best time ever recorded by a Jamaican female athlete. Julien Alfred of St Lucia won the race with a national best time of 36.05 seconds. Additionally, Nigel Ellis secured second place in the men’s 200m with a wind-aided time of 20.52 seconds.
In the field events, national record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd placed second in the women’s shot put with a throw of 18.80m, while Lloydricia Cameron finished fifth with 17.41m. The event was ultimately won by American Maggie Ewen, who achieved a distance of 19.25m, cementing the competitive spirit of the meet.
The Miramar Invitational highlighted the exceptional performances of Jamaican athletes, notably Rohan Watson, Rusheen McDonald, and Ackelia Smith. Their achievements in sprinting and jumping not only underscore their individual talents but also contribute to Jamaica’s reputation in athletics. With notable finishes in both track and field events, these athletes continue to set impressive benchmarks in their respective disciplines.
Original Source: www.jamaicaobserver.com
