SACRAMENTO,
California, CMC:
JAMAICAN MELAINE Walker clocked a personal best time and claimed the bronze medal in a tremendously fast women's sprint hurdles final at the USA's 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One championship on Friday evening.
American Virginia Powell clocked a stunning world leading and meet record 12.48 seconds to capture the women's 100m hurdles, chased by Priscilla Lopes and Walker, who registered 12.75 seconds for her third-place finish.
Walker's bronze is the third Caribbean medal at the meet so far, following gold for Jamaican Jovanee Jarrett and silver for Grenada's Patricia Sylvester in Thursday's women's long jump.
Representing the University of Southern California, Powell sped out of the blocks and took control early in the women's 100 hurdles final before stopping the clock 0.07 seconds quicker than her own previous 2006 world-best of 12.55 in the semi-final two days earlier.
Lopes kept challenging throughout and finished in 12.60 for silver and Walker had a strong finish for her fastest time ever over the distance.
There were no Caribbean medals in the women's high jump, but Jamaica's Peaches Roach went close. She placed fourth, clearing 1.86 metres the same height achieved by the silver and bronze medallists Sheena Gordon and Kelley Bowman, respectively, as American Destinee Hooker emerged champion at 1.89 metres.
In semi-final action on Friday, T&T's Baptiste (22.74) and Jamaica's Kerron Stewart (22.74) were among the quickest in the women's 200m, while Virgil Hodge (23.14) of St. Kitts and Nevis and Jamaican Tamara Thomas (23.28) also advanced to the final. Tahesia Harrigan, of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) missed out with a 23.42 clocking. In the 400m, NCAA Indoor champion from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Kineke Alexander, ran 51.49 and Jamaican Patricia Hall (51.70) to reach yesterday's final.
In the men's race, Jamaican Ricardo Chambers was second quickest to the medal race at 44.98. Jamaican Sekou Clarke was eliminated at a 46.32 clocking in his semi-final.
Jamaican Isa Phillips (49.36) is third fastest into the men's 400-metre hurdles final, for which Grenada's Shane Charles narrowly missed reaching with a 50.16 time.
