Ver hits top form to land sprint double
published: Monday | May 12, 2008

Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer

Veronica Campbell-Brown - file

Jamaica's world 100 metres champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown, returned to her best form to win the sprint double at the Central Florida University Invitational in Orlando, Florida, last Saturday.

Campbell-Brown became the second-fastest Jamaican in both the 100 and 200 metres this season as she won the former in 11.02 and the latter in 22.38 seconds. Only Kerron Stewart with 10.96 and 22.35 has run faster.

Excellent double

American Alexis Joyce was second in the 100m in 11.21, as World Indoor 60m champion Angella Williams finished third in 11.25. In the 200m, runner-up Ginou Etienne of the United States was well back in 23.16.

Spurred on by Campbell-Brown's excellent double, husband Omar Brown, after a slow start this season, finished a respectable third in the 200m. The 2006 Commonwealth 200m champion clocked 20.98 as former Jamaica College athlete Sekou Clarke finished fifth in 21.25. Clarke earlier took second place in the 400m in 46.67.

Three other Jamaicans scored victories at the same meet. Former Immaculate Conception standout Deandra Doyley, competing for the University of Miami, completed a double by winning the long jump, with 5.91m, and the triple jump with 12.39m. Former Queen's athlete Yanique Booth, who earlier finished eighth in the 100m in 11.84, won the 100m hurdles in 13.47. National senior representative Natalie Grant won the hammer throw with 59.36m.

At the Florida State Seminole meet, former national junior representative Nolle Graham won the long jump with 6.32m.

At the Sooner Twilight In-vitational in Oklahoma, many-time 400m senior representative Michael Blackwood won the 800m in 1:51.10.

Other wins

There were also victories for Latoya Greaves, Latoya Heath and Sherene Pinnock.

Greaves, competing for Oklahoma University, won the 100m hurdles in 13.42, just ahead of teammate Heath in 13.52. Heath returned later to win the triple jump with a leap of 12.90m.

After ending third in the 200m in 23.92, Pinnock, the former Edwin Allen High athlete, now competing for Oklahoma Baptist University, captured the 400m hurdles in 59.71.