KINGSTON, Jamaica – Orrrin Powell won the first final – the men’s javelin – at the 2014 JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships on at the National Stadium.
Powell of GC Foster College, the national record holder in the event with 70.23m, did a season best of 66.43m to take gold ahead of Demoy Henry 60.14m and Kingston College’s schoolboy Orlando Thomas 59.90m.
Meanwhile, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Annsert Whyte and Kaliese Spencer highlighted the three track events.
Whyte, who matched strides with Leford Green for the first 200m, showed his hurdling technique is getting better under the guidance of coach Kevin Price. He pulled away from Green and Josef Robertson to race home impressively in a personal best 49.69 seconds to take semi-final 2 of the men’s 400m hurdles event. Green finished second in 50.14 and Josef Robertson, third in 51.10secs.
Earlier, in semi-final 1, Roxroy Cato, the fastest Jamaican this season at 49.67, held off a challenge from Demar Murray, who messed up over the penultimate hurdler, to win in 49.99. Isa Phillips finished strong in 50.43 and Jodi-Rae Blackwood third in 50.64.
In the women's 400m hurdles, world leader, Kaliese Spencer, easily topped heat one in 54.63 ahead of Janieve Russell 56.05 and Shevon Stoddart, 56.76.
Nickiesha Wilson and Nikita Tracey battled up to the final hurdle in heat 2, but the former prevailed in 55.90. Tracey finished second in 55.99 while sister Ristananna Tracey, who looked far from her best, came third in 56.04.
In the quarterfinals of the men’s 100m, Bailey-Cole, in the first heat dropped 9.95, but the wind was measured at +2.5m/s. Odean Skeen followed him across the line in 10.12 and Oshane Bailey 10.13.
Nickel Ashmeade topped heat 2 in 10.12 ahead of Kimmari Roach 10.27 and Kenroy Anderson 10.28. Heat 3 went to Andrew Fisher in 10.09, a personal best, ahead of Nesta Carter 10.12 and Winston Barnes 10.21.
Julian Forte, who many expect to go sub-10 tonight, was the winner of heat 4 in 10.05 ahead of Jason Livermore 10.12 and Adolphus Nevers 10.24.
The semi-finals and finals of the men’s and women’s 100m will be on Friday night. Both hurdles finals will also be contested tonight.
