By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

A BAHAMIAN national record-breaking performance by strongwoman Calea Jackson topped a list of performances from Olympians Wanya McCoy and Javonya Valcourt and other Bahamian athletes at various meets in the United States over the weekend.

Tiger Paw Invitational

Jackson, a sophomore at the University of Miami, threw a lifetime best of 64-feet, 11 3/4-inches or 19.80 metres on her first toss to hold off the rest of the field to secure the win in the women’s weight event at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina.  

The Queen’s College graduate surpassed the Bahamas national record of 19.02m that was set by Acacia Astwood at the Mountain West Championships in Albuquerque on February 28, 2020.

“I felt content honestly,” said the 19-year-old Jackson on her new record. “I know I still have more to give so I wasn’t necessarily too happy. I still feel like I haven’t hit that big throw so it was expected.”

Jackson’s nearest rival was Britannia Johnson, a freeman at Purdue University with 63-9 ¼ (19.45m) on her third attempt for second. 

Donna Douglas, a freshman at the University of Tennessee, was third with 63-4¾ (19.32m).

“I felt good about it. I expected it because I practiced hard. I knew I could do it,” Jackson said. “I just hoped that it be at the right time and it was.”

Jackson, in her series of throws, scratched her second attempt but came back with 61-4 ¾ (18.71m) in the third round. She also scratched the fourth and threw 58-5 ¼ (17.81m) on the fifth, only to scratch the sixth and final throw.

She will now prepare for the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, March 1-3. 

Olympic 4 x 400m mixed relay team member Valcourt, in her junior year at the University of Tennessee, lowered her personal best in the women’s 400m to 52.09. 

Valcourt also ran a 50.88 split on the anchor led to power Tennessee to a second place in the women’s 4 x 400m relay in 3:27.60 as they trailed Cique Elite to the finish line in their victory in 3:25.73.

“I’m feeling really great about my performances so far,” Valcourt said. “I’ve been heading in the right direction lowering my times in the 400m meet after meet and seeing those results makes me excited about what I can do outdoors.

“The race today (Saturday) went great. I ran PRs in both events, my individual 400m and then ended up the evening with a really fast split of 50.88 in the 4 x 500m relay, which makes me hopeful for what’s to come in two weeks.”

Valcourt, a 20-year-old former student of Queen’s College, is referring to the Southeastern Conference in College Station, Texas, from February 27 to March 1 where she is ranked number seven. 

The aim of the graduate of Montverde Academy, a boarding school in Montverde, Florida, is to run even faster to make it to the final and possibly win a medal and qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia next month.

Also at the meet was versatile Olympian Charisma Taylor, who was entered in the women’s 60m hurdles. She was 20th overall in 8.30. American Amber Hughes took the victory in a season’s best of 7.94.

Tyson Invitational

McCoy, a junior at the University of Florida,  was on pace for another good showing in the men’s 60m invitational at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. But he didn’t take it all the way to the end as he didn’t contest the race.

Competing against some collegiate and professional athletes, McCoy advanced to the final with the third fastest qualifying time in the semifinals in 6.63 after he posted the fourth fastest time of 6.65 in the preliminaries. 

“This meet was a training meet honestly. I wasn’t expecting to run any crazy fast times here because the (NCAA Indoor) championship season is in two weeks. I’m just taking it one week at a time.”

American ZaChaeus Beard won the final in 6.74.

The NCAA Indoor Championships is set for March 14-25 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Also at the meet, Archer, a junior at the University of Central Florida, produced her lifetime best of 7.64 for 18th place overall in the women’s 60m. Tacoria Humphrey, a senior at Illinois, ran her PR of 7.42 to win the event.

Archer, a 20-year-old graduate of Queen’s College, also placed 26th in the 200m in 24.21. The winning time was 23.00 by Adriana Tatum, a senior at Arizona State.

And St Augustine’s College’s Oscar Smith, a 23-year-old senior at Louisiana State, finished fifth in the men’s 60m hurdles invitational in 7.86. He had the eighth fastest qualifying time of 7.85 in the semifinals, the same position and time he got in the preliminary rounds.

Zachaery Extine won the final in 7.67.

On the field, Nairn, back in action this year after recovering from an injury, made his presence felt in the men’s long jump invitational. He soared 25-10 3/4 (7.89m) on his third attempt for third place.

Nairn, the 28-year-old 2022 Commonwealth Games champion,  was leading the field until Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle took the title with his leap of 26-9 (8.15m) on his fifth attempt. Nikaoli Williams, a senior at Oklahoma, came through as well on his fourth attempt to move into second with 8.02m (8.02m).

“It was a great testament of stepping out on faith and doing things differently,” said Nairn of his season opener. “It meant a lot to me because I’ve been struggling to get my approach right for years now. 

“I was able to get it on the runway and be free and just run to the board without doubt. I expected to jump world lead. But nevertheless, it was a great opener and I know there is much more to come.”

Next week, Nairn said he will be back to compete in Arkansas where he hopes that he will achieve the qualifying standard for the World Indoor championships, scheduled for March 21-23 in Nanjing, China.