FORMER ST. Jago star Kerron Stewart ran a world-leading 200 metres time on her way to her first NCAA National Indoor track and field Championships title at the Randall Tyson Track Center in Arkansas on Friday night.

Stewart, who won her pre-liminary round heat in 22.76 seconds - a then world-leading time, lowered it in the final to 22.58.

"I feel good," Stewart told The Gleaner yesterday. "I have been working for this over a year now and it paid off, so I am very happy," she said.

Former Vere Technical and Jamaica junior representative Simone Facey of Texas A&M was fifth in her season-best 22.97 while Trinidad and Tobago's KellyAnn Baptiste of Louisiana State University (LSU) was second in 22.90.

Former national junior represen-tative and Kingston College (KC) athlete Alain Bailey was a bronze medal winner on the night.

Bailey, representing Arkansas, leapt 7.79 metres in the long jump for third behind Tone Belt of Louisville, who did 7.97m, andTexas' second-place finisher Trey Hardee, who jumped 7.83m.

In the 60m hurdles, Pan American Junior 400m hurdles champion Nickeisha Wilson of LSU (8.16) and compatriot Monique Morgan of Villanova (8.27), were fifth and eighth respectively.

- Anthony Foster