Tyra Gittens continued her fine run of form with a huge leap at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) West Preliminary meet in Texas, USA, yesterday. The Texas A&M University student disturbed the sand at a wind-assisted 6.95 metres to top the women’s long jump field.

Gittens had already qualified for the June 9-12 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon in the heptathlon. Her 6,418-point national record total in striking gold at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships a fortnight ago earned her top spot not only on the 2021 American collegiate performance list, but on the world list as well.

Yesterday’s windy leap was good enough for victory at the West meet. Gittens also landed further than the East qualifiers, and will go into the NCAA Championships with the biggest Preliminary meet jump. Twenty-four jumpers-12 from the West and 12 from the East-will do battle for the NCAA title.

During the SEC heptathlon, Gittens produced a 6.96m effort to break the Trinidad and Tobago women’s long jump record and qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. That leap earned her fifth spot on the 2021 world outdoor performance list.

There was another national record for Gittens in the SEC heptathlon high jump, the 22-year-old clearing the bar at 1.95m. Thanks to that fine effort, she is currently seventh on this year’s global list.

Gittens will be back in action tomorrow at the West Preliminary meet, bidding for a top-12 finish in the high jump. If successful, she will be on show in three events at the NCAA Championships.

Late on Wednesday, Kion Benjamin bowed out in the men’s 100 metres and 200m events at the West Preliminary meet. With 24 sprinters advancing to the 200 quarters, Benjamin finished 27th overall in a personal best 20.97 seconds. The University of Minnesota sprinter was 31st in the shorter sprint in a wind-aided 10.41.

At the NCAA East Preliminary meet, in Florida, Dwight St Hillaire stopped the clock at 45.46 seconds to win the fourth men’s 400m qualifying heat. The University of Kentucky student progressed sixth fastest to this evening’s quarterfinal round. Twelve of the 24 quarterfinalists will qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Ohio State University senior Eric Harrison finished second in heat six and ninth overall in the men’s 200m in 20.62 seconds to book a quarterfinal berth.

Harrison also reached the 100 quarters, his windy 10.21 seconds run earning him 13th spot. Another T&T sprinter, Louisiana State University (LSU) senior Akanni Hislop was 22nd fastest at 10.27, and advanced as well. Jackson State University’s Adell Colthrust was eliminated after finishing 36th overall in a windy 10.42.