Alana Reid tops stacked women's 100m semi-final at JAAA national championships

Alana Reid took semi-final two of the women's 100 metres at the JAAA/PUMA National Junior and Senior Championships with a season-best 11.17, holding off two-time Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and Jodean Williams in a finish so close officials reviewed the line before confirming the order.

Reid, the national junior record holder and reigning world under-20 champion, was listed in lane six alongside a field packed with sub-11 talent. Thompson-Herah, running from lane five for Elite Performance, entered in strong form after anchoring Jamaica to relay gold at the World Relays in Botswana and posting 10.92 this season. Williams, representing Sprint Tech, has also dipped under 11 seconds this year with a 10.97 run in Texas.

Lane assignments were briefly unsettled when Tia Clayton, listed for lane four, did not appear. Crystal Slowly occupied lane two with a personal best of 10.99, while Serena Cole of Swept Track Club started from lane seven and Shanoya Oliver ran from lane eight.

At the gun, Reid broke quickly as Thompson-Herah worked into her stride from the middle of the track. Williams led for much of the race before Reid surged through in the closing metres. Initial results on the board shifted before settling: Reid 11.17, Thompson-Herah 11.18, and Williams 11.19. Slowly finished fourth in 11.35, also a season's best, while Oliver crossed in 12.46 and Cole in 13.63.

The top three automatically advanced from the semi-final, with Reid's win marking another step in a breakout season for the young sprinter.