Gardiner opens up in 400m; collegiate athletes continue to perform well

Doneisha Anderson ran the third leg to help her team, the University of Florida Gators women’s 4×400 meters (m) relay squad, post the third-fastest time in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I rankings this season, and fourth-fastest time in the world, running 3:27.50.

They finished second at the UF (University of Florida) Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday. The time was also the sixth-fastest time in program history.

Empire Athletics won the event after posting a time of 3:26.76 – the third-fastest in the world this year. The University of Arkansas Razorbacks was third with a time of 3:28.20.

Earlier in the meet, redshirt sophomore Anderson ran the women’s 400m and finished fourth in 52.77 seconds. Finishing right behind Anderson in fifth was University of Kentucky Wildcats’ sophomore Megan Moss, a Bahamian, in 53.03 seconds.

Bahamian elite athlete Steven Gardiner, the 2019 World Athletics World Championships men’s 400m gold medalist, was also at this meet and opened his outdoor season with the third-fastest time in the world this season, clocking 44.71 seconds. It was his first 400m race of the year. Gardiner ran under the Empire Athletics’ banner and the only competitor who ran under 45 seconds in that race. He finished ahead of Pure Athletics’ Matthew Hudson-Smith who clocked 45.53 seconds. Astra’s Nathan Strother finished third with a time of 45.64 seconds.

It was a good day for Bahamian collegiate athlete Brianne Bethel as she ran a personal best time in the women’s 400m at the Boots Garland Invitational on the campus of the Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The University of Houston Cougars’ senior held on to win the race, crossing the finish line in 52.87 seconds. That time puts her at number 26 in the NCAA Division I rankings for this season. She was one of several Bahamians who had a good showing over the weekend at various collegiate meets. Finishing second behind her was Royal City Athletic Club’s Zoe Sherar with a time of 52.94 seconds. Northwestern State University Demons’ Natashia Jackson was a distant third in 54.35 seconds.

In the relay, the Grand Bahama native was able to help her 4x100m relay squad to a third-place finish after posting a time of 43.72 seconds. The host school won with a time of 43 seconds flat. Tiger Olympians clocked 43.08 to place second.

Bethel also placed seventh in the 200m in a wind-aided 23.46 seconds.

Kyle Alcine was victorious in the men’s high jump event, giving the Kansas State University Wildcats their sixth title of the day on Saturday. He was able to clear 2.10m (6’ 10-3/4”), short of his season’s best of 2.11m (6’ 11”). He did this at the Michael Johnson Invitational in Waco, Texas.

Finishing second was Texas Tech’s Jequan Hogan who also cleared 2.10m. Hogan’s teammate Jack Scarborough was able to clear 2.05m (6’ 8-3/4”) to finish third.

At the Mount 33-48 Challenge in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Wagner University Seahawks’ senior Tiffany Hanna threw her way to victory when she posted a distance of 12.31m (40’ 4-3/4”) in the women’s shot put. The senior is now ranked third in that event in the Northeast Conference this season.

The Long Island University Sharks’ Sherene Williams came in second with a throw of 11.88m (38’ 11-3/4”). Finishing third was St. Francis University Red Flash freshman Caroline Fyock who recorded a distance of 11.28m (37’ 0-1/4”).

Corey Sherrod was in action for the Southern Illinois University Salukis in the 100m and the 4x100m events at the Vanderbilt Black and Gold Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 100m, he led a trio of Salukis on the podium after he pulled away from the field to win in 10.81 seconds. Jaden Johnson was second after he clocked 10.98 seconds. They were the only competitors to go under 11 seconds in that race. Kyle Lind was third with a time of 11.01 seconds.

Sherrod was joined by Johnson, Lind and Dasani Edward as the quartet sprinted their way to a season’s best 41.79 seconds for the win in the 4x100m relay.

They finished ahead of the Belmont University Bruins who posted a time of 42.11 seconds. Finishing third was the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks team after clocking 42.89 seconds.

Shakeem Smith was a gold medalist in the 4x100m relay as he and his teammates Sean Bailey, Chevannie Hanson and Dennis Johnson clocked 40.54 seconds to come away with the victory at the 2021 Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio, Texas. Smith and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners held off the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals team who clocked 40.75 seconds. Finishing third was the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros who ran 40.77 seconds.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Smith clocked 51.51 seconds to pick up the silver medal. Finishing ahead of him was Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Islanders’ Leonardo Ledgister with a time of 50.59 seconds. Ledgister’s teammate Timor Barrett was third after posting a time of 51.53 seconds.

Serena Brown threw 55.80m (183’ 1”) in the women’s discus throw as the University of Iowa Hawkeyes junior won her third meet of the season. She recorded that distance on her fourth throw at the Husker Big 10 Invite in Prairie View, Texas.

The University of Wisconsin Badgers’ Josie Schaefer was second with a throw of 54.06m (177’ 4”). Finishing third was the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers’ Shelby Frank with a throw of 52.49m (172’ 2”).

Marissa White picked up two silver medals for the Temple University Owls at the Quaker Invitational in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the 200m, White clocked 24.91 seconds to hold on for second place. She could not catch the University of Pennsylvania Quakers Camille Dickson who posted a time of 24.48 seconds for the win. White’s teammate Chelby Elam was third with a time of 25.01 seconds.

White and her teammate Alanna Lally secured the top two positions in the 400m. White clocked 56.48 seconds for second. Lally was first with a time of 56.40 seconds. The host school’s Uchechi Nwogwugwu was third with a time of 56.51 seconds.

The post Gardiner opens up in 400m; collegiate athletes continue to perform well appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/gardiner-opens-up-in-400m-collegiate-athletes-continue-to-perform-well/