By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
FORMER IAAF World Junior double sprint champion Veronica Campbell is to forgo the final year of her United States National Collegiate Athletics Association's (NCAA) eligibility and announce that she is going professional at a press conference this morning at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston at 9:00 a.m.
The 22-year-old former Vere Technical athlete who attended the University of Arkansas this season after being at Barton County Community College the previous two seasons is expected to sign a lucrative deal with a major sporting good manufacturer.
Former national athlete Neville Myton, who has acted as a mentor/adviser to Campbell since she attended Vere Technical, confirmed the reports with The Gleaner yesterday but was tight-lipped about the details of the deal, saying only that "the details will be announced tomorrow at the press conference and the press is invited to ask any questions then."
A FAVOURITE
Campbell is one of the favourites for the sprint double at this weekend's Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships which start at the National Stadium tomorrow evening and will be hoping to make up for the disappointment of not being able to compete at the recent NCAA Championships.
She was disqualified from the meet despite some outstanding times after missing a regional meet due to a hamstring strain while competing in the 4x100m relays on May 28 and, according to the NCAA rules, could not take part in the finals.
The Olympic and Common-wealth Games silver medallist and former national senior champion is regarded as one of the fastest women in the world and has left her mark on the American college circuit in the past three years.
Campbell, who hails from Trelawny, is also an outstanding student as she earned her associates degree from Barton County with a 3.8 grade point average.
