Raymond Graham, Freelance Reporter

Stewart

FORMER St Jago High athlete Kerron Stewart was in immaculate form on the weekend as she sped to a world-leading 22.35 seconds to win the women's 200 metres at the Arizona State Sun Angel Classics.

Stewart, who last year won the NCAA Indoors 60 metres and 200 metres, along with the NCAA Outdoor 200 metres titles for Auburn University, before finishing seventh in the women's 100 metres final at the Osaka World Championships, gave early warning that come the final weekend of June she will be one of the favourites for the top spot at the National Athletics Championships.

A member of Jamaica's silver medal winning 4x100 metres relay team, Stewart, who received the Honda Sports Award last year for being the top female collegiate athlete, won in impressive style to break the meet record of 22.90, done by Muna Lee, the former Louisiana States University athlete, in 2002. The previous world best for 2008 was done by Sanya Richards, 22.56 seconds in January.

At the same meet, former Wolmerian Renee Whyte, now competing for Iowa University, captured the women's triple jump with 12.90 metres, while former G.C. Foster College athlete, Mereissa James of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, ended second in the 800 metres in 2:07.87. Her team-mate, Tanisha Wisdom, was fourth in the 400 metres in 53.50, while former national senior representative, Shellene Williams, finished fifth in 53.70.

Beckford victorious

Many time national senior champion in the men's long jump, James Beckford, was victorious at the Miami Elite Invitational at Coral Gables as he leapt 7.70 metres to take gold.

Former Immaculate athlete Deandra Doyley, competing for the University of Miami, took home gold in the triple jump as she won with a mark of 12.30m.

Another member of Jamaica's silver medal relay team in Osaka, Sherrian Brooks, opened up her season at the same meet with a second place finish in the 200 metres.

Brooks, the 2006 Commonwealth 100 metres gold medallist, finished second narrowly in 22.90 seconds as World 100m silver medallist, Lauryn Williams, took gold in the same time, 22.90 seconds. Brooks also finished ninth overall in the 400 metres in 54.75 seconds.

There were also second place finishes for G.C. Foster College Rosemarie Whyte and former St Andrew High standout Arusha McKenzie. Whyte grabbed the silver in the 400 metres in 52.36 seconds, while McKenzie, running for University of Villanova, finished in 2:9.91. Another G. C. Foster athlete, Schillone Calvert (11.34), finished third in the women's 100 metres.

Good form

At the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee meet, Julian Reid, the former Wolmer's Boy's athlete now competing for Texas A&M University, continued his good form this season with a victory in the men's triple jump where he leapt 16.55 metres.

Following her 100 metres hurdles win in Texas the week before, Andrea Bliss scored another victory as she won the event in 13.13 seconds.

Simone Facey of Texas A&M, who raced to a personal best the previous week in the 100 metres, had to settle for second in this event in 11.32 seconds as the United States' Muna Lee won in 11.12 seconds.

Senior men's representative, Christopher Williams, closed off a good meet for the Jamaicans when he clocked 10.36 seconds to finish second in the 100 metres behind the United States Mickey Grimes, who was timed in 10.29 seconds.