By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterVERONICA CAMPBELL completed the women's sprint double at yesterday's final day of the Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, when she won the 200m in a personal best and stadium record 22.18 seconds.
A day after taking the 100m, the former Vere Technical runner repeated her 2002 feat after beating defending champion Aleen Bailey (22.70 seconds) and the veteran Beverley McDonald (22.85 seconds), just getting to the tape ahead of former champion Peta-Gaye Dowdie in 22.87 seconds.
The crowd of just over 11,000 was treated to some world class sprinting as three new marks were set at the National Stadium, including Steve Mullings in the men's 200m 20.22 seconds a personal best and Deloreen Ennis-London, who took the 100m hurdles in 12.51 seconds.
Then, Brandon Simpson brought the championships to a fitting climax when he stormed down the straight to pip Michael Blackwood on the line to in the men's 400m in 44.88 seconds.
Blackwood, who had passed the pacesetter Davian Clarke at the 300m mark, looked to be cruising to the line when the former Munro College and Ardenne High runner raced past him to take his first national senior title.
PERSONAL BEST
World Junior Games bronze medallist, Jermaine Gonzales, snuck in for third in a personal best 45.72 seconds and is set to sew up his first Olympic berth.
Newcomer Nadia Davey took the female equivalent in a good 50.99 seconds ahead of Novelene Williams (51.28) and Allison Beckford (51.35).
Veteran Sandie Richards was fourth in 51.61 seconds and seems to have made the team for her fifth Olympic Games as a member of the relay unit. Olympic and World Championships silver medallist James Beckford, and Aundre Edwards also put on a show in the men's long jump with Beckford winning with a leap of 8.13m, while Edwards took silver in 7.88m. Herbert McGregor was third with a wind-aided 7.62m.
In the women's 200m, Campbell got off to a fast start, making up the stagger on McDonald after 70 metres and came off the bend well in front before running away from the field.
She admitted after the race that she was surprised by her time as she is still feeling the effects of a hamstring injury, adding that her race plan was to run a hard bend and keep her form in the last 100 metres.
Mullings made up for his second place finish in the 100m by leading home Christopher Williams (20.43) and Ricardo Williams (20.65).
HEADACHE
New national 100m record holder Asafa Powell pulled out of the 200m event after "feeling sore" after his 9.91 seconds performance the previous night and will give the selectors some headache to decide who to give the third spot to, himself or Usain Bolt, the World Junior record holder who missed the meet as he is still recovering from a hamstring injury.
Ennis-London made a welcome return to the National Championships when she race an almost perfect race to win the 100m in a personal best 12.51 seconds.
Two other runners, last year's champion Brigitte Foster (12.56) and Lacena Golding-Clarke (12.81) all went under 13 seconds.
Michelle Freeman, who is also on the return from injury, finished a creditable fourth in 13.03 seconds.
National record holder Maurice Wignall defended his men's 110m hurdles title, winning the race in 13.42 seconds ahead of Ricardo Melbourne (13.84) and Richard Phillips (13.90).
The race was a disaster for Dwight Thomas, who hit the first hurdle, and DeCosmo Wright, who hit the eighth hurdle and failed to finish.
Aldwyn Sappleton and Michelle Ballentine captured the men and women's 800m titles. However, both failed to finish in Olympics 'B' standard times of 1:47.00 and 2:01.30 respectively. Sappleton (1:47.82) took the men's event ahead of Evan Allen (1:48.58) and Shawn Smith (1:48.97), while Ballentine who has already run 2:00.28 this season, an Olympics 'B' standard time, won the women's event in 2:02.70. She defeated Edwin Allen's schoolgirl Kay-Ann Thompson (2:03.43) and former Christiana High athlete Carlene Robinson (2:03.52).
Karen Beautle won the women's high jump with a personal best 1.86m, beating her previous best of 1.85m, but failed three times at 1.89m.
Peaches Roach, representing the University of Iowa, was second with 1.75m while Sheree Francis was third, clearing 1.70m.
