Just about a week after running a personal best 7.17 seconds in the indoor 60 meters (m), Anthonique Strachan blazed her way to a world-leading and personal best 10.99 seconds in the 100m. The Olympian ran that time at the John Wolmer Speed Fest at the National Stadium, Independence Park, in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday.
The 29-year-old’s previous personal best was 11.20 seconds done back in 2012. She is the first to run under 11 seconds in the event this season.
“I am happy with the time and performance,” Strachan said. “It was my first 100m meet of the season and I am pleased with how it went. No one can be upset with a personal best. Any progress is great progress in my book.”
Strachan ran out of lane four for her MVP Track Club and got out of the starting blocks strong. She picked up her top speed with about 60 meters left in the race and took full control of the race. She held form and never trailed from there. She ran across the finish line first, to run under 11 seconds for the first time in her career.
“I wanted to try and get a good start and go through the phases correctly. I am not sure that I did those things outside of getting a good start. I will talk to my coaches and see what their feedback is,” Strachan said about her race.
Finishing second behind her was Jamaican Shanshalee Forbes with a time of 11.24 seconds. Jamaican Jodean Willams clocked 11.54 to finish third.
She is now the seventh Bahamian woman to dip under 11 seconds in the event. Strachan joins Chandra Sturrup (10.84), Savatheda Fynes (10.91), Debbie Ferguson (10.91), Eldece Clarke (10.96), Pauline Davis (10.97) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (10.98).
Strachan said this is the best she has ever felt in a long time and she does not know when her next meet is.
On the collegiate scene, Rhema Otabor was brilliant in her outdoor opener in the javelin throw when she threw a personal best of 56.07m (183’ 11”) at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. The Florida International University Panther athlete finished second with that throw that came on her second attempt.
Her previous personal best was 55.08m (180’ 8-1/2”) that was thrown in August 2021.
Auburn’s Keira McCarrell threw 56.56m (185’ 7”) to win that event. Stephen F. Austin’s Seri Geisler was third with a throw of 55.28m (181’ 4”).
At that same meet was Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones. He did not run in an individual race but helped his Texas Tech 4x100m relay team finish third with a time of 39.12 seconds. It was the 10th fastest time in school history. His teammates were Jacolby Shelton, Adam Clayton and Courtney Lindsey.
Winning the relay was the University of Florida Gators who clocked 38.47 seconds. The University of Texas was second after clocking 38.87 seconds.
Oscar Smith and Shaun Miller Jr. were in action at the Raleigh Relays in Columbus, Ohio. Smith was brilliant in the 110m hurdles race when he sprinted to clock 13.73 seconds for the victory. North Carolina State’s Cameron Murray was second after running 13.90 seconds. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Josh Parks was close behind with a time of 13.95 seconds.
Miller Jr. cleared a season’s best 2.15m (7’ 1/2”) to place second in the high jump event. Finishing ahead with him at the same height was Buffalo’s Brandon Burke. Placing third was Duke’s Beau Allen who cleared 2.10m (6’ 10-3/4”).
Louisiana Tech’s Johnie Jean-Jacques saved his best for last when he threw a personal best 16.38m (53’ 9”) for a third-place finish. He was in action at the Victor Lopez Classic at the Wendel D. Ley Track in Houston, Texas.
Rice University’s Elian Ahmar won with a throw of 17.26m (56’ 7-1/2”). Finishing one position above Jean-Jacques was Joseph Honea who posted 16.60m (54’ 5-1/2”) unattached.
Five Bahamians were in action for the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles in the season opener at their ORU Invitational at ONEOK Sports Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Brad Dormeus was a force in the 200m dash when he clocked 20.92 seconds. His teammate John Clifford was his closest competitor after clocking 21.04 seconds. Coffeyville Community College’s Ireon Brown ran 21.39 seconds to finish third.
Dormeus was not finished. He came back and teamed up with Aaron Charlton, Cameron Neely and fellow Bahamian Ethan Hanna to run the 4x400m relay. The quartet won the race 3:10.33. Hanna ran the first leg and Dormeus ran the fourth leg.
Placing second was Kansas who ran 3:19.58. Oral Roberts’ ‘C’ team was third with a time of 3:29.70.
Hanna was in the 400m dash where he ran 49.24 seconds to finish third. His teammates Aden Baughman and Daniels Bambals were first and second, respectively. Baughman ran 48.56 seconds while Bambals clocked 48.68 seconds.
It was a Bahamian connection on the women’s side when Indea Cartwright, Lakelle Kinteh and Gabrielle Gibson teamed up with Judith Bediako in the 4x100m relay to clock a time of 46.66 seconds. They were the only team in that relay.
Gibson won both of her individual races – 100m hurdles and the 200m dash. The 100m hurdles saw Gibson clocking 13.59 seconds as Cartwright was second in 13.80 seconds. Kansas’ Ashley Wallace was third after posting 13.90 seconds.
Gibson ran a time of 24.07 seconds to win the 200m. Tulsa duo of Anna Mager and Elizabeth Roca finished second and third, respectively. Mager clocked 24.83 seconds while Roca clocked 24.97 seconds.
Cartwright held two Kansas hurdlers to win the 400m hurdles when she clocked 1:01.36. Alice Boasso was second after posting 1:04.30 while Siemens was third with a time of 1:06.25.
