Ashley Kelly's 53.33 and 23.87 are the second best indoor times by a BVI female athlete. PHOTO courtesy of Swiftsports.com
MARCH 4--Showing her best form since her days at Illinois, sprinter Ashley Kelly, posted the second fastest 200 and 400m indoor times by a BVI female athlete, competing in the Boston Last Chance meet at Boston University on Saturday.
The Illinois graduate began her day by lowering her 400m personal best of 53.69 seconds from 2011, to 53.33 and placed third in the competition. Only Chantel Malone's 53.23 national standard is faster. She followed up with a second place finish in the 200m chopping the 24.04 seconds she ran earlier this season down to 23.87, the No. 2 mark behind Karene King's 23.73.
Meanwhile, veteran sprinter Tahesia Harrigan-Scott ended her European tour in Metz, France, with a third place finish in the 60m dish, covering the distance in 7.45 seconds. She ran 7.43 in the prelims.
At the Highlander Invitational in Orlando, Fla., Montverde Academy Sr. Tahj Malone equaled his High Jump personal best with a clearance of 6'4"--the same measurement as the winner--but was third overall after missing at a lower height.
At the same competition, Jude Kinkead had a personal best of 12 minutes 15.99 seconds in the 3200m.
Field event specialists competing for JC titles
Three BVI natives attending Central Arizona College tuned up for the March 5-6 National Jr. College Athletics Association Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico on home soil on Saturday.
Eldred Henry who tops the Jr. College Shot Put rankings with the only 20.00m throw in the event, warmed up for the championships with a heave of 18.14m in Coolidge, Az.
Trevia Gumbs and her twin sister Tynelle, had a 1-2 finish in the Shot Put with marks of 13.61m and 12.86m respectively. Trevia's winner came on her final attempt. Trevia has the No. 2 Shot Put mark in the Jr. Colleges' rankings, 3¼" behind Jamaica's Glenveve Grange of New Mexico Jr. College, with whom she has had several Carifta Games battle in the event. Grange had a best mark of 47'9".
Tynelle used an opening 17.76m measurement to bury the field in the Weight Throw, while Trevia was fourth with a first round effort of 15.53m--a personal best. Tynelle's 59'6¼" mark leads the field heading into the championships.
Development Series continues
After a week off, BVI athletes will have their final tune up for the March 13-14, Premier Dental National Jr. Championships with a meet on Friday afternoon at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.
Highlighting the event will be the 400m Hurdles, where Jr. Record holder Kyron McMaster is expected to face competitors from St. Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago over the barriers. Deya Erickson will seek to defend home turf in the 100m against her St. Kitts counterparts. St. Kitts will host the 44th Carifta Games, April 3-6.