AUSTIN, Texas, CMC – Antiguan Brendan Christian, Ryan Brathwaite, of Barbados, and the US Virgin Islands’ Tabarie Henry were among impressive Caribbean winners at the Texas Invitational track and field meeting this past weekend.
Christian and Brathwaite logged swift wind-assisted victories while Henry delivered a career-best run to land the men’s 400 metres in 45.09 seconds.
In the men’s 200 metres time final that included top American Wallace Spearmon, Christian stopped the clock at 19.98 seconds aided by a wind of 2.1 metres per second.
He pushed Steve Mullings (20.14) into second spot and the Jamaican who was also runner-up in the wind-assisted (2.23 mps) 100 metres in 10.00 behind Panamanian Edward Alonso (9.97). Christian, the reigning Pan Am Games 200-metre champion, was fourth in 10.02.
Brathwaite, with a following wind of 3.6 mps, outclassed his rivals with a win in 13.05 second in the men’s 110-metre hurdles to complement his fine win last month at the Texas Relays.
In the men’s 400 metres, Henry had among his rivals reigning world sprint double champion Tyson Gay as he posted his quickest ever one-lap run. Henry won ahead of Lionel Larry (45.27) and Gay, preparing to defend his sprint titles at the IAAF World Championship in Berlin, displayed solid shape with a career-best 45.57 clocking for third place.
Clora Williams, a former US Collegiate 400-metre champion, was one of two Jamaican winners at the meet as she narrowly won the women’s one-lap event in 52.61 seconds, closely followed by fellow Jamaican Patricia Hall (52.67).
Chantel Malone, of the British Virgin Islands, was third in 53.46 to complete a Caribbean sweep.
Julian Reid posted the other Jamaican win, registering a personal best 16.72 metres to win the men’s triple jump.
American LaShauntea Moore won the women’s 100 metres in 11.21 seconds, defeating Jamaican Simone Facey (11.23) with a legal following wind on 1.9 mps.
Grenada’s Allison George who helped Texas A&M to win the 4x100m relay in a time of 43.82, was fifth in 11.34 seconds.
George also helped Texas A&M win the 4X100-metre relay in 43.82
