Jamaican track and field athletes delivered impressive performances across multiple NCAA indoor meets this weekend, showcasing the Caribbean nation’s continued dominance in sprint and field events.
At the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational in New Mexico, Shaquena Foote clocked a blistering 51.54 seconds in the women’s 400m, securing second place and recording her second-fastest indoor time ever. The performance places her second in the current NCAA rankings, just 0.06 seconds shy of her personal best of 51.48 seconds set in February 2025.
Meanwhile at the Ted Nelson Invitational in Texas, Machaeda Linton of Texas A&M University matched her personal best of 7.32 seconds to claim victory in the women’s 60m final. The LSU transfer demonstrated her versatility by also finishing fourth in the long jump with a best mark of 5.80 meters.
World Championships relay silver medalist Kemba Nelson continued Jamaica’s sprint success, winning the Women’s Olympic Development 60m final in 7.39 seconds.
In field events, former Kansas State jumper Kavian Kerr, now representing the University of Nebraska, captured the men’s long jump title at the Mark Colligan Memorial with a season’s best leap of 7.56 meters, overtaking Boise State’s Raekwon Weatherspoon who had led through four rounds.
Additional notable performances included Kimar Farquharson’s third-place finish in the men’s 400m (46.64 seconds) and Altwayne Bedward’s third-place result in the men’s shot put (16.45m). At the Virginia Military Institute Invitational, Morgan State’s KeSean-Jordan Rhooms placed third in the triple jump (14.15m) while teammate Jayla-Shae Wright equaled her personal best of 1.55m in the high jump, finishing fourth.