This year’s Jamaica National Championships get underway today, Saturday and will feature a number of current and future stars. Therefore, the absence of Usain Bolt, as well as other quality athletes, from the two-day event is not expected to put a damper on the Trials, which will see Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Shericka Williams, among others, competing.
The Short Sprints
The women’s 100m will showcase Sherone Simpson, Samantha Henry (LSU) Carrie Russell and Trisha-Ann Hawthorne (UConn). Simpson, who is coming off an injury-plagued season last year, told Caribbean TrackLife this past April at the Penn Relays, that her training was going well and that she felt good going into the season. All-Americans Hawthorne and Henry had an excellent college season and are set for more success.
The men’s 100m will be highlighted by Michael Frater, Nesta Carter and Lerone Clarke. All three are members of the sub-10-secs club and each should factor highly in the outcome. Others to watch are Kenroy Anderson, Winston Barnes and the fast improving Oshane Bailey.
The women’s 200m will feature reigning Olympics and World 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser. She has the habit of showing up at major championships and this one should not be any different. Challenges should come from Samantha Henry, Rosemarie Whyte, Trisha-Ann Hawthorne and 2009 World Championships 200m finalist Anneisha McLaughlin.
The men’s 200m will feature Fraser’s training partner and MVP teammate Asafa Powell, the former 100m world record holder. Powell has been enjoying a superb season, having established a world-leading 9.82 secs in the 100m. Despite not being recognized as a 200m specialist, Powell has the speed to repel the challenges of the younger Ramone McKenzie, Oshane Bailey, Xavier Brown and Oral Thompson.
400m
The women’s 400m is probably the most competitive event on paper as it includes Olympians Shericka Williams, Novelene Williams-Mills, Rosemarie Whyte as well as Stephanie McPherson and Christine Day. Shericka, the reigning Olympic and World silver medalist in this event, will compete against Sonita Sutherland and the experienced Davita Prendagast.
Dwight Mullings tops the list of participants in the men’s 400m. Mullings recently completed a successful season at Mississippi State University, which saw him garner All-American honors. With a lifetime best of 44.98 secs, Mullings is set to claim the title here. Challenges should come from the reigning champion Ricardo Chambers, Lanceford Spence, Edino Steele, and the fast improving UTECH student, Nicholas Maitland.
Others
Aldwyn Sappleton, who has a lifetime best of 1:46.82 will battle Ricardo Cunningham and Andrae Drummond for the men’s 800m supremacy.
Leford Green (Johnson C. Smith University), the NCCA’s DII Male National Athlete of the Year, will take on his former high school rival Josef Robertson and veteran Markino Buckley in the men’s 400m hurdles. Nickiesha Wilson will go against Nikita Tracey in the women’s equivalent.
Others set to compete are Calabar High School duo Chad Wright and Travis Smikle in the men’s discuss, Dorian Scott and Chad Wright in the men’s shot put, and Zara Northover in the women’s shot put.
The pole vault will feature current national junior record-holder K’Don Samuels (4.80m) competing against the former national junior record holder, Jabari Ennis.