AUSTIN, Texas, CMC:
JAMAICA'S STEVE Mullings won the collegiate 100 metres in a wind-assisted 10.14 seconds at the Texas Relays over the weekend.
The star of the day, however, was Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis who sped to his fourth victory at the Relays when he captured the men's invitational 100 metres in a wind-assisted 9.92 seconds.
Collins, currently the number one ranked Caribbean sprinter, won easily from Canada's Pierre Browne (10.09).
Other Caribbean athletes who did well in collegiate action included Antiguan Brendon Christian helped Texas capture the 4X200-metre relay.
Collins, the 2002 Commonwealth Games 100-metre champion, blew away his rivals but the 2.5 metre-per-second following wind denied him a personal best time.
"This was my first outdoor sprint, so this is a good start," said Collins, who won silver in the men's 60 metres at last month's World Indoor Championship in Birmingham.
"I really like this meet. I am very happy with my time and the weather was in my favour," Collins added.
Ato Boldon joined World and Olympic 100-metre champion Maurice Greene, Jon Drummond and Kaaron Conright on the HSI team in the men's invitational 4X100 metres and clocked 38.89 seconds for the runner-up spot to the USA-Blue team that won in a meet record 38.75 seconds.
Reigning Pan Am Games 100-metre champion Bernard Williams anchored the SA-Blue team.
Christian, a 200-metre silver-medallist for Antigua and Barbuda at the World Junior Championship in Jamaica last July, ran anchor for Texas as they won the collegiate 4X200 metres in one minute 20.79 seconds.
"We were just running to win. Getting the meet and school record was a bonus and a blessing," said Christian, who had won the high school 100-metre title here last year.
Trinidadian Fana Ashby (11.22) ended third in the women's collegiate 100 behind Americans Muna Lee (10.97) and Monique Tubbs (11.13) in another wind-aided run.
Former Jamaica Olympic finalist Dionne Rose-Henley finished a close second in the women's invitational 100-metre hurdles in 13.14, behind American Joyce Bates, who retained her title in 13.12 seconds.
Lolo Jones, of Louisiana State University (LSU), equalled the meet record - held by St. Lucian Perdita Felician - for the collegiate 100-metre hurdles when she won in a world-leading 12.90 seconds.
Former CARIFTA Games champion Ricardo Melbourne ran 13.93 seconds for the runner-up spot in the college 110-metre hurdles behind Dexter Faulk (13.71).
In the women's 400-metre hurdles, Jamaica's Alison Beckford (55.18) finished second to Raasin McIntosh (54.60).
