Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

NATIONAL CHAMPION Ricardo Chambers and Kerron Stewart headline the Jamaicans who have qualified for the 2007 NCAA National Championships in the United States.

Chambers, winner of the national 400m title last year, enters the one-lap event with the fastest time (44.62) while Stewart will run in the 200m.

Stewart is the fastest college student over the 100m sprint this season but has opted for the half-lap event for strength.

Stewart's coach, Bahamian Henry Rolle, explained the reason the decision to run only the 200m.

Rolle said the move was geared towards preparing her for the National Trials.

"As I indicated earlier in the year during the indoor season, everything this year is going to be geared towards the Jamaica National Championships," Rolle said.

"We are just using the 200m to really get some work in for the trials and, in terms of the rounds, doing the double was going to hamper that," he said.

"Everything we do in training now is geared towards the 100m (at trials) and that is the reason why we are getting the speed endurance by running the 200m.

"Plus running the 200m now will help with her fitness," he continued because "this year, we were unable to run as many 4x400m as she did last year ... so the way to tuck them in is to run more 200m."

Lo record

Rolle, who also coach Jamaicans Anneisha McLaughlin, Tracey-Ann Rowe, Jovanne Jarrett and Vonette Dixon in Auburn, said Stewart will be targeting the lo record which is 22.29 at NCAA.

He also said she will break 11 seconds this year.

Meanwhile, six other males and 15 females are also down for the biggest collegiate meet in the U.S.Simone Facey of Texas A&M (11.19), Tracey-Ann Rowe of Auburn (11.35) and Samantha Henry of LSU (11.50) will contest the women's 100m.

Facey (22.49) and Henry (22.84) will join Stewart in the 200m while Clora Williams of Texas A&M (52.59) and Maris Wisdom of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (53.43) will run the 400m.

Lorain McKenzie of Florida (2:05.68) will contest the 800m while Nickeisha Wilson of LSU (13.06) and Monique Morgan of Villanova (13.18) and Tresha Henry of Texas A&M (13.55) are listed for the 100m hurdles.

Wilson (55.20) will be joined by twin sisters Camille (56.71) and Carlene Robinson (56.76) of Illinois and Shirley Morgan of Nebraska (57.00) in the 400m hurdles.

Peaches Roach of Iowa (1.85m) and Shaunette Davidson of LSU (1.76m) will contest the high jump while Andrea Linton of LSU will take the field in the long jump (6.31) and triple jump (13.44).

Peta-Gaye Beckford of Arkansas (47.06) will be in the field for the javelin.

Orlando Reid (10.25) and Richard Thompson (10.31) qualified for the men's 100m. Reid (20.53) is listed fourth in the 200m.

Shaun Smith of Oral Roberts (1:48.43) and Sheldon Leith (13.73) are listed for the 800m and 100m hurdles respectively.

Isa Phillips of LSU (49.59) has the second best time going into the 400m hurdles while Kimani Kirton of Maryland (18.58) is in the shot put field.