MULLINGS
OLYMPIANS CHRIS Pinnock and Kimberly Barrett were among six Jamaican winners at the weekend's 78th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays held at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas campus.
Other Jamaican winners were, 'banned' athlete Steve Mullings, Isa Phillips, Melaine Walker and Dorain Scott.
Yhann Plummer and Kasia Williams also got among the medals.
Pinnock, who just missed out on an Olympic Games medal by one hundredth of a second last summer, won Saturday's Invitational 110m hurdles in 13.56 seconds. He had unattached athletes Jermaine Cooper (13.60) and Dexter Faulk (13.68) trailing him to the line.
QUALIFYING MARKS
Barrett, Jamaica's first Olympic shot putter, threw an NCAA Region One qualifying mark of 17.48 metres to land the University/College event. In doing so, the University of Miami's Barrett dispatched Arizona State's Jessica Pressley (16.48) and Texas' Michelle Carter (16.21), both also secured NCAA Region One qualifying marks.
Mullings, who tested positive for excessive levels of testosterone after his 200m victory at last June's National Championships, continued his good early season form. The former Vere athlete who is on IAAF 'suspension', but can still represent his school, won Saturday's University 100m event in an impressive 10.06 seconds, only to be spoiled by a 2.5mps assisted wind.
Representing Mississippi State University, Mullings left in his wake LSU's Kelly Willie (10.11) and Florida's Kyle Farmer (10.24).
In the college 400m hurdles, Phillips, formerly of St. Andrew Technical (STATHS), won in an NCAA Region One qualifying time of 50.72. Phillips, a South Plains freshman, defeated Oklahoma's Pat Brown (51.98) and Angelo State's Justin Boyd (52.89).
WALKER TAKES TITLE
Walker's victory came in the University/College women's 400m hurdles. The former St. Jago star, who got silver in this event at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, raced away with Saturday's title in 55.37 seconds.
The Texas junior finished ahead of Miami's Dominique Darden (56.78) and Baylor's Danielle Myricks (57.55). All three women secured NCAA Region One qualifying marks.
In the men's shot put, Scott threw 19.31 metres, an NCAA Region One mark, for victory. He defeated Garrett Johnson of Florida State (18.93m) and USC's William Denbo (18.91m).
SECOND PLACE FOR PLUMMER
Meanwhile, Plummer, representing Southern NO, picked up second place in the College men's 100m. Formerly of Holmwood Technical, Plummer clocked 10.19 (3.6mps) to finish behind Kansas City's Mark Jelks (10.01).
Arkansas and former Jamaica junior, Williams, was a third-place finisher in the women's 100m hurdles in 13.13, an NCAA Region One mark.
Texas' Ashlee Williams won the event in 12.83.
In the relays, Mullings helped Mississippi State to victory in the 4x200m relay in 1:21.62, beating Sekou Clarke's Florida (1:23.01) into second. Omar Brown's Arkansas and Richard Thompson's LSU teams failed to finish.
Walker was also instrumental in helping her Texas team to a 3:31.29 victory in the University/College women's mile relay.
National Junior 200m record holder Simone Facey and her Barton County Junior College team finished second behind USA Red in the women's Invitational 4x400m relay. USA Red team with Jamaican-born Sanya Richards won in 3:28.53 while Facey's Barton finished in 3:36.71.
