Jackson highlights performances at Velocity Fest

There were excellent performances at Saturday's Velocity Fest 12 meet inside the National Stadium, with Shericka Jackson leading the way by posting a season best of 50.92 seconds to win the women's 400 metres.

The event had several athletes, mainly from MVP Track Club, producing season- and personal-best performances.

Jackson, last year's World Championships 200 metres champion, stepped up her preparation for the season in fine style by improving her season best of 52.03 seconds, which was done in her second 400 metres race of the season at the GC Foster Classics two weeks ago.

Drawn in lane six, Jackson of MVP was pushed for most of the race by Stacy Ann Williams of Elite Performance Track Club. Making her season debut, Williams, who also represented the country at the World Championships last year, was neck and neck with Jackson up to the 350 metres, before Jackson showed her class to pull away for the win.

Williams clocked 51.59 seconds as MVP's Janieve Russell, in her season opener, ended third in 52.77.

Bahamian Anthonique Strachan, representing MVP, topped the field in the 100 metres final, stopping the clock at 11.02 seconds, ahead of Racers' Jodean Williams, who had a personal-best 11.27 seconds, as Sprintec's Remona Burchell took third in 11.30.

World Championships 400 metres bronze medallist Barbadian Sada Williams, representing MVP, raced to a season-best 22.98 seconds to win Section B of the women's 200 metres, ahead of training partner Natasha Morrison, who did 23.24, with Tovea Jenkins of Sprintec third in a season-best 23.92.

Section A had two-time Under-20 World Championships 100 metres champion, MVP's Tina Clayton, clashing with Titans Track Club's Briana Williams. Clayton's quick 150 metres prevailed in 23.69 seconds, as Williams had to settle for third in 24.03, with MVP's Srabini Nanda finishing second in 23.99.

It was an anti climax in the men's 100 metres final as pre-race favourites Zharnelle Hughes of Racers and Julian Forte of Elite Performance were both disqualified for false starting.

Brendon Rodney of Sprintec won the event in a personal best of 10.17 seconds. It was also a personal best for Wolmer's Boys' Class I athlete Jelani Gordon, who warmed up for the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs) by clocking 10.22, as Sachin Dennis made his long-awaited local appearance and placed third in 10.23 seconds.

National 400 metres record holder Rusheen McDonald of MVP also shared the spotlight, stopping the clock at 20.67 seconds to win the men's 200 metres in a season best. Antonio Watson of Racers, with 20.73, and Elite Performance's Nigel Ellis, with 20.89, ended second and third, respectively.