Oblique Seville, Shericka Jackson crown National 100m champions

Racer’s Oblique Seville and Shericka Jackson of MVP were crown 100m sprint King and Queen of Jamaica at the National Junior and Senior Championships at the National Stadium on Friday.

Seville, the reigning World champion, won his first national title, easing home in 9.82 (+0.6). His task was made easier with last year’s champion Kishane Thompson in the stand watching.

The 19-year-old Gary Card of the University of Technology snatched second in a personal best 9.93 which is the National Junior Record and just edged Ackeem Blake of Dynamic Speed was third in 9.94. Card will be eligible for the World Under-20 Championship where he will be amongst the favourites.

MVP’s Nishion Ebanks, training partner and close friend of Kishane Thompson, broke the 10-seconds barrier for the first time with a personal best of 9.99. Thompson, who watched from the stands was excited for Ebanks and went down on the track and congratulated him.

Former national champion Rohan Watson of MVP was fifth in 10.05, Javari Thomas of GC Foster was sixth in 10.18m ahead of Racer’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie was seventh in 10.26 and Sprintec’s Kadrian Goldson was eighth in 12.87.

Shericka Jackson, running her first 100 metres of the year, looked awesome in winning the title in 10.81(-0.3) seconds, chasing down her fast-starting MVP clubmate Tina Clayton who was second in 10.85.

It was a clean sweep for MVP as Jonielle Smith claimed third spot in 10.94 with Ashanti Moore of Sprintec fourth in 11.08. Jodean Williams, also of Sprintec, was fifth in 1.08 and the promising Lavanya Williams of Dynamic Speed sixth in 11.13. Alana Reid and Sabrina Dockery were seventh and eight in 11.17 and 11.19 respectively.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, who was second in her semis in 11.17 behind Reid, failed to show for the final and her spot was taken by Dockery.

Earlier, in the girls’ Under-20 100m, Shanoya Douglas of Holland High had to chase down the powerful built Theianna-Lee Terrelonge of Uptimum Track club to retain her title.

Douglas won in 11.08 with Terrelonge second in 11.18. Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls was third in 11.46 with Sashana Johnson of Hydel High was fourth in 11.47.

Nathaniel Martin of Jamaica College surprised in the boys’ Under-20 winning in 10.37 with his schoolmate Dantae Watson grabbing second in 10.39. Both were running from lanes one and two. Nyron wade of Kingston College was third in 10.43 and American-born Justin Stewart fourth in 10.46.