By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
K’Kenzii Crabbe, 14, won the U20 Girls100/200m
A .9 meters per second wind reading over the allowable 2.0, robbed 14-year old M’Kenzii Crabbe of a Carifta Games U-17 Girls qualifying time, when she stepped up and won the U-20 Girls 200m to complete a sprint double, while J’Den Jackson missed the U-20 Boys 200m mark by .01. Their performances highlighted the 3rd Dag Samuels Development Series on Saturday at the A. O. Shirley Grounds.
Crabbe, who missed the Carifta Games U-17 Girls 100m final by .09 seconds in her debut last year in Grenada, ran 24.78 seconds, which was announced that she had qualified, but after the meet it was confirmed that the race had a +2.9 meters per second wind reading. Before her exploits, she won the U-20 Girls 100m in 12.86 seconds, running into a -4.1 mps wind.
“In this race, my expectation was to make up for the 100m, go out there, do my best and qualify,” Crabbe told The Daily News before she would later learn that her race was wind aided following a brief BVI Athletics Association statement. “This is my first 200m on Tortola for the season. I felt like I had a good race, I’ve been training for this all off season and that’s what I came out here to do.”
After running 12.3 and 25.3 seconds in St. Thomas last weekend, Crabbe said the time didn’t surprise her. “I know I can make magic happen, wonders happen and I know I could do what I do,” she said.
Although she won the 100m, Crabbe said she wasn’t mentally prepared and her mind wasn’t where it’s supposed to be. However, she said that last year’s Carifta Games experience helped her to understand how many people are faster than her.
“I’m here in my age division winning so I have to step up (to U20) to get the experience, to run the times I need, running against people to make me faster. It’s fun to beat them,” she said. “They say (to me) you running U20? And I say yeah. When I didn’t make the Carifta Games final (last year) I wasn’t beating myself up about it too much, because it was my first Carifta, only 13 years old, going to have fun, get the experience and try to make it as far as I could. When I didn’t make it, that was okay, that’s life. I’m coming back this year, finals with a medal.”
Meanwhile, Jackson ran a 48.72 seconds 400m personal best, beating Vadley Sylvester who ran 48.91 for the first time in the open race. Sylvester fended off Jackson 21.66 seconds to 21.71—another personal best—in the 200m, with Jackson missing the Carifta Games U-20 Boys qualifier by .01.
“I’ve worked hard in practice,” he said. “I thank my coach (Willis “Chucky” Todman) and my family for the support,” he said.
Collegiate Roundup
Texas A&M Jr., Khybah Dawson, was 5th in the Charlie Thomas Invitational Long Jump, with a leap of 7.47m (24’6¼”) inches.
Coming off injury, Jaleel Croalkicked off his indoor season for the South Florida Bulls, with a 6.80 seconds time at Harvard on Friday, then followed up with a 6.85 seconds run in the 60m at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational in Boston.
Meanwhile, Cloud County Sophomore strongman Andre Smikle, competing in the Frank Sevinge Husker Invitational in Nebraska, heaved the Shot, 13.08m (42’11”) and the 35 lbs Weight Throw, 13.95m (45’9¼”).
Texas Southern Jr. A’Keela McMaster was 3rd in her heat and 11th overall of the 37 competitors, in the FasTrak Athletix Collegiate Indoor Last Chance 60m Hurdles.
Warner Jr. Anaya Findlay leapt a personal best 1.52m (4’11¾”), to place 6th in the Celebration Pointe Classic High Jump, after a season opening 1:00.43 in the 400m.
At the same competition, Deya Erickson lowered her 60m Hurdles indoors personal best and National Record from 8.48 secs to 8.32, to win the competition
