Rondell Bartholomew among world leading times over 400 metres

NEW YORK, April 19, 2010 – Rondell Bartholomew posted the third fastest 400 metres time for the year when he clocked 45.28 seconds at the Michael Johnson Classic at the Hart-Patterson Track & Field Complex in Waco, Texas on Saturday.

Bartholomew used a late surge to take victory for South Plains College and underlined his status as a world class quarter miler.

Only Australian Ben Offereins and American Tavaris Tate (44.86) and his compatriot Kirani James (45.02) have run faster than the former Mc Donald College athlete.

At the same meet, Janelle Redhead ran the second leg to help South Plains win the women’s 4x100 metre relay in 45.51 seconds against competition such as Texas A&M and host Baylor University.

Colleen Felix also finished fifth in the women’s javelin (41.08m) and made marks in the high and long jumps as well as the 100m hurdles.

At the Mt SAC Relays in California, Joel Phillip was fifth in the men’s 400m in 46.83 for Arizona State University. He then joined forces with his colleagues for the 4x400m relay and placed second in 3:03.78.

There were also victories for Sherine Wells, Phylicia George and Neisha Bernard-Thomas on the weekend.

Wells (Oklahoma University) won the women’s 100m at the John Jacobs Invitationals in a season-best time of 11.70 seconds to win her first individual title of the season. She also finished second overall and first among collegiate competitors in the 200m in a time of 24.09 seconds.

George (University of Connecticut) dominated in the 100 metre hurdles at the UConn Select Invite at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex with a first place finish in a time in the event of 13.81 seconds. Her time marks the third fastest time in school history in the 100 metre hurdles.

It took a record-setting performance by Bernard-Thomas to beat LaTavia Thomas of Louisiana State University (LSU) for the 800-metre title as the former Lady Tiger national champion finished the race in 2:00.77 to shatter the 26-year-old Bernie Moore Track Stadium facility record of 2:01.15 set by Tennessee great Joetta Clark back in 1984.