Stewart

BEIJING Olympic 200 metres bronze medallist, Kerron Stewart, kicked off her 2009 track and field outdoor season with an emphatic win in the United States on Saturday at the Arizona State Sun Angel Track Classic.

Stewart, who finished behind countrywoman Veronica Campbell-Brown and the United States' Allyson Felix in Beijing in the 200 metres, cruised to a world-leading 22.62 seconds.

The United States' Lauryn Williams had recorded 22.75 the previous week in Gainseville, Florida.

Strong competition

Samantha Henry, formerly of The Queen's School, but now competing for Louisiana States University, clocked 23.72 seconds to place fourth

Stewart's former teammate at St Jago High and Auburn University, Jovanee Jarrett, was also victorious at the meet. Jarrett, who finished second last year at the National Championships in the long jump event, leapt to a good, season-opening 6.36 metres.

Former Wolmer's Girls' athlete Renée Whyte, who now competes for the University of Iowa, registered another Jamaica win as she leapt 12.46 metres for gold in the women's triple jump, while Kayan Thompson, the one-time Edwin Allen middle-distance runner who now dons the colours of Louisiana States University, finished fourth in the women's 800 metres in 2:07.49.

There were also victories on the weekend for Olympians Michael Blackwood and Shereefa Lloyd at different meets.

Blackwood, a member of the men's 4x400 metres relay team in Beijing, captured his pet event, the 400 metres at the John Jacobs Invitational Meet on the campus of the University of Oklahoma as he clocked 46.41 seconds.

At the same meet, there were second-place finishes for Nickeisha Anderson and Sheldon Leith. Anderson, competing for Kansas University, clocked 54.36 seconds while Leith, the former Calabar High hurdler, clocked 14.03 seconds in the men's 110 metres hurdles.

Lloyd, who was a member of Jamaica bronze medal-winning 4x400 metres female team in Beijing, breezed 22.76 seconds to win the women's 200 metres at the Tennessee Sea Ray Relays. The wind reading here was plus 3.8 metres per second.

Junior representative

Former national junior representative, Patricia Hall, clocked 23.40 seconds for second in her heat of the 200, but finished fourth overall.

Competing at home at the Johnson C. Smith Invitational Meet in North Carolina, Leford Green and Shermaine Williams continued their good outdoor form. Running into a positive wind of 2.5mps, Green sped to 20.41 seconds to win the men's 200 metres.

World Junior 100 metres hurdles silver medallist, Williams, with the wind a positive 2.4mps, won the 100 metres hurdles in 13.21 seconds as her teammate, Rosemarie Carty, finished second in 13.44 seconds. Williams returned to finish second in the 200 metres in 24.10 seconds, running into a positive wind reading of 2.3mps.