Colleen Felix opens season with triple jump victory

by Michael Bascombe
NEW YORK, March 24, 2012 – There were contrasting results on the first official weekend of outdoor competition for Grenadian athletes in the United States.
Former Junior CARIFTA medallist Colleen Felix of the University of Georgia won the women’s triple jump at the Georgia Relays in Athens, Georgia on Saturday.

Felix tallied the nation’s leading mark in the triple jump during UG’s outdoor season opener. Felix, who won her second consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) indoor title in February, worked up to a jump of 13.13 metres on her fifth attempt to cruise to a victory. She was just short of the stadium record of 14.06m held by Grenadian Patricia Sylvester.

Felix also copped second spot in the javelin with a throw of 44.66m.

Also posting an impressive opener was Kanika Beckles (Texas A&M University) at the USC Trojan Invitational at the Loker Stadium in Los Angeles. Beckles was second in the women’s 400m in 53.94. Beckles also ran a split of 54.1 to help Texas A&M win the 4x400m Relay in 3:36.95.

At the LSU Relays in Louisiana, Neisha Bernard-Smith (Tiger Olympians) was third in the women’s 1500m in 4:29.37; Daryl Brathwaite (University of Akron) was fifth in the men’s long jump with 7.11m and Andon Mitchell (Unattached) was fourth in the men’s 100m in a windy (3.1) 10.40.

At the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Joel Redhead finished fourth in the men’s 400m Invitational in 48.01 while his sister Janelle (Wayland Baptist University) competed in the relays (6^th, 4x100m and 2^nd, 4x400m) at the Bobby Lane Invitational in Arlington, Texas. Sherine Wells (Oklahoma University) also competed in the sprints (10^th, 100m 11.81 and 10^th, 200m 24.47).

Melika Lewis, competing in her first outdoor meet since joining Monroe College in January, finished second in the women’s 200m (26.23) at the Monmouth Invitational.