Keston Bledman and Deon Lendore sped to Olympic qualifying times at the University of Miami (UM) Hurricane Alumni Invite at Coral Gables, Florida on Saturday. Bledman clocked 10.12 seconds (wind+0.1m/s) in finishing second in the men’s 100m event, getting under the Olympic A standard of 10.18. The 2005 World Youth bronze medallist was beaten to the line by Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade (10.09) with Travis Padgett (USA) taking third (10.29). Lendore captured the 400-metre event in 45.56, faster than the Olympic B standard of 45.90 (A standard-45.30). Lendore also improved his personal time from 46.20 set last month.



The triple Pan American Junior medallist then helped his university, Texas A&M, to victory the men’s 4x400-metre relay in 3:06.44. Sparkle Mc Knight, Aaron Armstrong, Annie Alexander and Jamol James also recorded impressive victories. At the Texas Tech Open in Lubbock, Texas, Mc Knight took the women’s one-lap race in a new personal best of 53.29. The 2010 double Carifta silver medallist bettered her previous personal best of 53.52 set in 2011. Mc Knight’s South Plain schoolmate Janeil Bellille was third (54.75). The Carapichiama West Secondary graduate also broke her personal best in the 400m hurdles at the Texas Relays last month clocking 57.42.



At Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas, Armstrong grabbed the men’s 100-metre dash in a wind-assisted time of 10.21(+3.5) while at the Sea Rays Relays in Knoxville, Tennessee, Alexander landed her eighth title for the outdoor season securing the women’s discus crown in 55.45m. The Tennessee University final-year student improved her 2012 season’s best from 55.27m set on April 7 in Illinois. School colleague James was first to the line in the men’s 100 metres in 10.24 seconds. The 2010 World Junior sprint relay bronze medallist missed out on a personal best as the wind reading of +2.2m/s was just over the legal limit of +2.0. James was also third in the 200m in 21.39 second.

Results

UM HURRICANE ALUMNI INVITE
Men
100m
2 Keston Bledman Adidas/T&T 10.12(+0.1)
400m
1 Deon Lendore Texas A&M 45.56
110m Hurdles
4 Wayne Davis II Texas A&M 13.86(+2.1)
4x100m
4 Texas A&M 'B' (Davis) 41.67
4X400m
1 Texas A&M (Deon Lendore) 3:06.44

Women
200m
8 Kai Selvon Auburn 23.52(+1.2)
100m Hurdles
8 Danielle Davis Auburn  14.64(0.0) 3h2
4X100m
3 Auburn (Kai Selvon) 44.18

TEXAS TECH OUTDOOR OPEN
Women
400m
1 Sparkle MC Knight South Plains 53.29(pb)
3 Janeil Bellille South Plains 54.75
4X100m
2 South Plains (Sparkle McKnight, Janeil Bellille) 45.37
Men
400m
4 Zwede Hewitt Baylor 46.62 4h1
Long jump
9 Dellon Williams Texas Tech 6.89(+3.4)
Triple jump
Williams Foul
4X400m
1 Baylor (Zwede Hewitt) 3:05.49

TEXAS INVITATIONAL
Men
100m
1 Aaron Armstrong T&T/API 10.21(+3.5)
SEA RAYS RELAYS
Showcase 100m
1 Jamol James Tennessee 10.24(+2.2)
Showcase 200m
3 James 21.39(+1.2)
4X200m
4 Mid Tennessee (Kendal. Bacchus) 1:27.14
4X400m
2 Tennessee (Jamol James) 3:15.14
Dnf Mid Tennessee (Bacchus)

Women
Invitational Discus
1 Annie Alexander Tennessee 55.45 (f, f, 55.45, f f, 51.85)

-Clayton Clarke

Source: www.guardian.co.tt