By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WANYA McCoy, Lamar Williams, Collinique Farrington, Shatalya Dorsett and Antone Smith led a field of Bahamian track and field athletes in action over the weekend with victories at various meets in the United States.

During the Corky Classic at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas on Friday, McCoy, in his senior year at the University of Florida, won the men’s 60m in 6.54 with Texas Tech’s senior Shawn Brown trailing in 6.59 for second. 

McCoy, coming off his double sprint appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris, France in the 100 and 200m, had the fastest qualifying time of 6.53 in the semifinals. In the preliminary rounds, he was third overall in 6.58.

“Honestly I feel pretty good about my performances this past weekend, especially with it being my season opener, I already know some big things are in store for me this year,” McCoy said.

“I had expected to run somewhat close to what I ran but I knew I could run those times too because of what was seen at practice.”

McCoy said the expectations this year is to win every event he competes in at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships and to close out the season by duplicating the then proceed at the World Athletics’ World Championships in September in  Tokyo, Japan. 

Also at the meet, fellow Olympian Antoine Andrews, in his junior year at Texas Tech, made the final in the men’s 60m hurdles, but didn’t run. 

He had the fastest time of 7.52 in the semifinals after running 7.84 for seventh overall in the preliminaries. 

Both competitors came back on Saturday and ran on their men’s 4 x 400m relay teams. McCoy was the second leg for Florida as they won it in 3:02.80, while Andrews did the third leg for Texas Texas as they ended up sixth in 3:07.34. 

Also, world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton placed second in the women’s 60 metres hurdles Olympic Development race in a time of 7.93 seconds on Friday behind her American training partner Masai Russell.

Russell, the Olympic champion in Paris, France lert year and representing Puma, won the race in a world leading time of 7.89. Christina Clemons, representing More Sports Track and Field, was third in 8.04.

The trio also contested the 60m Olympic Development final where Russell took the tape in 7.34, followed by American Tyra Gittens, competing unattached, in 7.38. Charlton was third in 7.50 and Clemons fourth in 7.59.

On the field, Calea Jackson, a sophomore at the University of Miami, placed sixth in the women’s weight throw with her best toss of 60-feet 73/4 or 18.48m on her fifth attempt.  Shelby Frank, a senior at Texas Tech, won with 70-21/2 (21.40m). on her sixth attempt.

And in the men’s weight throw B section, a pair of Bahamians in their senior year at Northwestern State going head-to-head with Tarajh Hudson placing seventh with 51-1 (155.7m) on his sixth try and Abner Johnson eighth with 49-73/4 (15.13m) on his second.

At the Bob Eubanks Open, hosted by the Grand Valley State University, Abco native Lamarr Willaims inked his name on the Bethel University Pilots men’s 60m dash by running 6.75 to equal the NAIA ‘A’ Qualifying standard.

Williams, who completed his high school in Grand Bahama, broke the previous school record of 6.80, set by recent Al Beutler Hall of Fame inductee Tommy Grant, who set the mark on December 4, 2015 at the University of Notre Dame’s Blue and Gold Invite.

At the Washburn Rust Buster meet at the Washburn University Indoor Athletic Facility, Grand Bahamian Collinique Farrington, a junior at Southwest Baptist College, won the women’s 200m in 24.06 tfpor the third fastest time in the nation.

In the process, Farrington erased the meet record of 24.26 that was set by Aria Pearce last year. Farrington also placed third place in the final of the women’s 60m in 7.65.

Also, Makaylin Forbes, a senior at Southwest Baptist, was 62nd in the men’s 60m in 7.28.

At the Jimmy Carnes Track and Field, Shatalya Dorsett, a Grand Bahamian competing for Georgia Southern, won the women’s 60m college race in 7.44 just ahead of her team-mate Naj Watson, who did 7.46. Dorsett had the fourth fastest qualifying time of 7.49.

Dorsett also contested the women’s 200m at the Alachua County Sports and Event Center where she placed third in 24.16. Shenese Walker of Florida State won in 23.68 and Naj Watson of Georgia Southern was third in 23.85.

And Grand Bahamian Cassie Thompson, competing for Jacksonville, was fourth in the women’s 300m in 38.12. American Talitha Diggs of Adidas, won in 36.77, Gabby Scott of Puerto Rico was second in 37.49 and Jessijka Gbai of Nike was third in 37.62.

At the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Antone Smith, representing the Bahamas, soared 50-91/23 (15.48m) to win the men’s triple jump. His nearest rival was Rajaun Ricketts, a junior at Oklahoma State, with 49-101/2 (15.20m).