By Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer
FORMER VERE Technical athletes Veronica Campbell and Steve Mullings were in record-breaking form on the indoor track and field college circuit in the United States at the weekend.
Both Barton County Junior College athletes shone brightly for their team. Mullings who was very impressive last year, before injury curtailed his season, wrote his name twice in the record books at the J.D Martin Invitational Meet.
In the 60 metres event he sped to victory in 6.64 seconds to erase the old mark of 6.84. He returned later to smash the old mark of 21.85 in the 200 metres with a new mark of 21.35. Here, team-mate Omar Brown, formerly of Albert Town Comprehensive, was third in 21.81.
Following her impressive run last weekend over the 200 metres, Campbell, the Commonwealth silver medalist over the 100 metres last summer, was awesome in the 60m as she joined World Champion Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of Ukraine as the fastest in the world this season over 60 metres when she registered 7.09 to smash the old mark of 7.34 in winning the event.
At the same meet, former Holmwood Technical athlete Karen Gayle also wrote her name in the record books as she won the 600 yards in 1:20.24 to erase the old mark of 1:22.34. Former Vere Technical athlete Patricia Hall finished fourth over the 200m in 25.15.
There were also wins for Allison Beckford, Kimberly Smalling, Kelly Marshall, Sanya Richards, Moya Thompson, Ricardo Melbourne and Julian Dunkley at other meets in the United States.
At the Alltel Classics at University of Findley, Beckford competing for Rice University captured the 200 metres in 24.48. Running at the same Meet, for Texas University, Richards, the World Junior silver medallist over the 400m took this event in 54.00. Former St. Jago athlete, Keasha Downer competing for the University of Texas finished sixth in 55.55.
Later Richards ran a blistering relay leg of 52.72 to pilot her team to victory in the mile relay in 3:34.66 seconds while Beckford also had an excellent leg of 52.85 seconds to push her team to third.
There were also fourth place finishes for Candeese Cawley and Ivorita Taylor at the same meet. Cawley, formerly of Hampton High and now competing for University of Texas in Arlington was fourth in the long jump, with 5.65m while Taylor, formerly of Maggoty High and Manchester High, competing for University of Texas in Arlington finished fourth over the 800m in 2:17.15.
Melbourne, the former Calabar High school athlete competing for Central States University was victorious in the 55m hurdles, winning in a new meet record of 7.20.
At the Jayhawk Invitational in Kansas, Smalling the former St. Jago High skipper took the 200m for Oral Roberts University in 25.16 seconds. Thompson of Lincoln University won the women's 400m in 55.44 while the former G.C. Foster College Marshall won the 800 metres in 2:15.75. Lincoln University are coached by Jamaican Victor "Poppy" Thomas.
Former G.C. Foster College athletes Lerone Clarke and Dwayne Diah finished second and third over the 60m. Clarke, competing for Lincoln, did 6.77 while Diah of Oral Roberts finished third in 6.84.
At the Patriot Games on the George Mason University campus, national senior representative Julian Dunkley captured the 60m in 6.78. Former Ardenne athlete, Richard Phillips of George Mason, finished second in the 60m hurdles in 7.99.
