Eric Harrison was the class of the men’s 100 metres field at the Husker Big 10 Invite in Texas, USA, on Saturday. The Ohio State University senior struck gold in 10.34 seconds.

Harrison was born in the United States, and earned double bronze for that country in the men’s 100m and 200m events at the 2018 World Junior Championships, in Finland. He was also part of the American quartet that won the 4x100m relay in Finland.

Harrison, however, has a Trinidadian mother, and has switched allegiance. The 22-year-old sprinter will be eligible to represent T&T from July 15Ñeight days before the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Harrison has a 100m personal best of 10.22 seconds, while his fastest wind-legal 200 to date is 20.39.

“Even though I was born in the United States,” Harrison told the Express, “Trinidad and Tobago has always been a part of my culture growing up. My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunts have always taught me and my sister about Trinidad and Tobago.

“I was involved in other sports,” he continued, “but track and field became my passion in high school. As I watched the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, I thought it would be nice to represent the Trinidadian culture that was instilled in me growing up. Running for Trinidad and Tobago would be an honour for me and my family.”

Another T&T sprinter, Kion Benjamin finished seventh in the Husker Big 10 Invite men’s 100m final. The University of Minnesota student clocked 10.53 seconds. Benjamin finished third in his section and eighth overall in the 200 in a wind-assisted 21.41.

University of Iowa field athlete Ianna Roach threw 13.87 metres to finish 13th in the women’s shot put. She was 21st in the hammer throw with a 41.88m effort.

Purdue University’s Naomi Campbell clocked a windy 25.12 seconds for 17th spot overall in the women’s 200m. Campbell was 25th in the 100 in 12.30. And University of Illinois sophomore Kashief King was 29th in the men’s 400m in 49.81.

At the Tom Jones Invitational, in Florida, T&T track star Jereem “The Dream” Richards got to the line in 20.30 seconds to secure silver in the Olympic Development men’s 200m event, behind American Fred Kerley (20.24).

The 20.30 clocking earned Richards ninth spot on the 2021 world outdoor performance list. Kerley is joint-fifth with Bahamian Steven Gardiner. Another T&T athlete, University of Kentucky student Dwight St Hillaire is seventh at 20.25, while the global leader is American Terrance Laird with a 19.81 run.

St Hillaire clocked 20.69 seconds on Friday for third spot in the Tom Jones Invitational college men’s 200m. Kelly-Ann Baptiste finished fifth in the Olympic Development women’s 100m dash in a wind-aided 11.33, while Khalifa St Fort was 13th overall in a windy 11.62.

Asa Guevara was sixth fastest in the Olympic Development men’s 400m in 46.32 seconds. And Richards clocked 10.36 to finish fourth in his section and 14th overall in the Olympic Development men’s 100m.

At the Michael Johnson Invitational, in Texas, Deon Lendore produced a 46.27 seconds run to top the men’s 400m field. Texas A&M University student Tyra Gittens finished eighth in the women’s javelin with a 39.24m throw and 10th in the shot put at 12.22m. Sparkle McKnight returned a time of one minute, 01.55 seconds for 11th spot overall in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Also in Texas, Taejha Badal completed a wind-assisted sprint double at the TAPPS 6A District 04 meet. The Concordia Lutheran High School student clocked 11.85 seconds in the women’s 100m and 23.71 in the 200.

Two Saturdays ago, at the Eagle Relays in Texas, Badal was busy. She won the women’s 200m in a windy 24.10 seconds, and finished second in the 400 and 100, clocking 55.24 and a windy 11.35, respectively.

At the Long Beach Invitational, in California, University of Southern California (USC) freshman Rae-Anne Serville finished fifth in the women’s 400m in 53.02 seconds. The clocking is the second fastest of Serville’s career, bettered only by her 52.89 T&T junior (under-20) record. Thanks to the 53.02 run, Serville is 10th on the 2021 world outdoor under-20 performance list.

In Maryland, Long Island University (LIU) sprinter Michaela Neils seized Mount 33-48 Invitational women’s 100m silver in a windy 12.16 seconds. Neils also competed in the 200, finishing fifth in a windy 25.90.

Two Sundays ago, at the Wagner Invite in New York, Neils finished third in the women’s 100m and 200m events, clocking 12.25 and 25.76. Fairleigh Dickinson University sophomore Ako Hislop was 11th overall in the men’s 400m in 55.37.