T&T's Portious Warren was fifth in the women's shot put at the Miramar Invitational at the Ansin Sporting Complex in Florida, USA on Saturday (April 6).
The Tokyo Olympics 11th-place finisher recorded a distance of 17.44 metres in the third round of the competition which featured an elite field.
Reigning two-time world champion Chase Jackson of the USA won the event with a meet-record throw of 19.88m. Four-time World Championships finalist American Maggie Ewen was second (18.95) with defending Miramar champion and 2019 World Outdoor/2018 World Indoor silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd of Jamaica (18.72) in third. Another American Jessica Ramsey (18.19) also finished ahead of Warren. Jackson and Ewen surpassed the Paris Olympic automatic qualifying women's shot put standard (18.80).
Eric Harrison Jr sprinted to silver in the men's 100m B Finals in 10.52 seconds. USA's Kyrie King beat Harrison to the line in 10.48. Courtney Lindsey of the US raced to gold in the A final in 10.28 with Jamaica's World Indoor 60m bronze medallist Akeem Blake in second in 10.28. Blake's compatriot Andre Ewers crossed the line in third (10.43). Blake clocked the fastest time on the day when he ran 10.25 in the preliminaries earlier where Harrison was 10th quickest in 10.52. American Melissa Jefferson captured the women's 100m crown in 11.19m.
Caribbean athletes recorded impressive wins with 2022/2023 World Championships 400m bronze medallist Sada Williams of Barbados topping the women's 200m field in 22.82. Bahamian Alonzo Russell retained the men's 400m title in 45.35, narrowly ahead of Alex Ogando of the Dominican Republic (45.36). Fellow Bahamian Wendell Miller claimed the bronze in 46.00. Tyler Mason of Jamaica copped the men's 110m hurdles in 13.57.
Shafiqua Maloney of St Vincent and the Grenadines was a clear winner in the women's 600m with 1:23.80, four seconds clear of runner-up Sadi Henderson of the USA (1:27.81). Maloney booked her ticket to Paris when she surpassed the women's 800m standard (1:59.30), blazing to 1:58.69 (national record) in Arkansas on February 10.
Jamaicans Rusheen McDonald (men's 200m) and Charice Porter (women's long jump) were third in their events.
Warren opened her 2024 outdoor season at the Bulldog Alumni Relays in Mississippi on March 23, where she struck gold with a heave of 17.28m.
Fellow Tokyo Olympic finalist Tyra Gittens won the women's long jump at the Charles Austin Classic in Texas with a distance of 6.68m. Gitten was also third in the women's 100m (11.90) behind another T&T athlete Taejha Badal (Texas State), 11.77, who was second. Gittens finished 10th in the women's long jump finals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Commonwealth Games 4x400m gold medallist Asa Guevera secured silver in the men's 300m (32.78) at the Hurricane Invitational in Florida behind reigning Olympic men's 400m champion Stephen Gardner of the Bahamas, who won in 31.99.
Selected Results
Miramar Invitational
April 6
Women
Shot put:1st Chase Jackson (USA) 19.88, 2nd Maggie Ewen (USA) 18.95, 3rd Danniel Thomas- Dodd (JAM) 18.72, 4th Jessica Ramsey (USA) 18.19, 5th Portious Warren (TTO) 17.44
200m: 1st Sada Willaims (BAR) 22.82, 2nd Ida Karstoft (DEN) 23.01, 3rd Kynnedy Flannel (USA) 23.31
600m: 1st Shafiqua Maloney (VIN) 1:23.80, 2nd Sadi Henderson (USA) 1:27.81, 3rd Ajee Wilson (USA) 1:27.86
Men
100m
A final: 1st Courtney Lindsey (USA) 10.28, 2nd Akeem Blake (JAM) 10.28, 3rd Andre Ewers (JAM) 10.43
B final: 1st Kyrie King (USA) 10.48, 2nd Eric Harrison Jr (TTO) 10.52, 3rd JT Smith (USA) 10.57
Prelims: 1st Blake 10.25, 10th (3h1) Harrison 10.52
400m: 1st Alonzo Russell (BAH) 45.35, 2nd Alex Ogando (DOM) 45.36, 3rd Wendel Miller (BAH) 46.00
100m hurdles: 1st Tyler Mason (JAM) 13.57, 2nd Eric Edward's (USA) 13.60, 3rd Andrew Pozzi (GBR) 13.63