Davis grabs silver in NCAA hurdle

Wayne Davis 11 sped to silver in the men’s 60m hurdles finals on the final day of action at the NCAA Division One Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Saturday. 

The Texas A&M athlete clocked a national record of 7.59 improving on the 7.65 he establishing in taking the runner up spot at the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Championships at the same venue two weeks ago. American Eddie Lovett won the gold in a record of 7.50 with Spencer Adams (Clemson) grabbing bronze in 7.60. 

There was silver also for Sparkle McKnight (Arkansas) in the women’s 4x400m in 3:30.35. Oregon won in 3:30.22. Earlier, McKnight was sixth in the women’s 400m finals in a new national mark of 52.52, lowering the 52.77 she clocked at the SEC Champs. Bahamian Shaunae Miller (Georgia) won gold in 50.88. Hilenn James improved her personal best in the women’s shot put to 17.03 to finish seventh in the final. Her best throw was in the second round when she bettered her 16.80 set earlier this year. Tia Brooks (Oklohoma) won with a heave of 19.22, a championship record. 

Deon Lendore was sixth in the men’s 400m finals in 46.10. The Texas A&M student was favourite after topping the heats but experienced cramps in his leg while warming up. He still opted to compete and finished third in section two behind Jamaica’s Errol Nolan (Houston) 45.75 and Hugh Grahams Jr (Florida) 46.01. 

Lendore’s local coach Charles Joseph said both legs were cramping and he decided not to compete in the relay finals.

In Division two Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, Reyare Thomas (Abilene Christian) finished fourth in a new pb of 23.51, improving on her previous best of 23.82 set on Friday. Thomas was also fifth in the 60m finals in 7.45, equalling her pb. She later helped Abilene Christian to fifth in the 4x400m finals.