T&T’s Jereem "The Dream" Richards had another exciting performance on the weekend, winning the men’s 300 metres at the University of Alabama (UAB) Green and Gold Invitational held at the CrossPlex Athletic Facility in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States.

The National Association of Athletics Administrations "Sportsman of the Year" clocked 33.24 seconds to comfortably cross first ahead of second-placed Renard Howell (Unattached) with 33.44 Two weekends ago, the Adidas runner, who is the London 2017 World Championships 200m silver medallist, opened the indoor season with a runner-up finish in the 500m (1:02.79 ) at the Blazer Invitational also in Birmingham.

At the FasTrak Collegiate Invitational in Houston, Texas, local sprinter Semoy Hackett placed third in the women’s 60m with a 7.56-clocking while in the men’s version of the race at the Dr Norb Sander Columbia Challenge in New York, Andre Marcano finished second with 6.94.

Several national athletes competed at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky including Rondell Sorrillo (Unattached), who opened his with a 6.80-clocking in both the preliminary and semifinal rounds in the men’s 60m but did not face the starter in the final.

Jonathon Farinha of Puma MVP International also lined-up in the event but his 6.88-timing placed him 12th overall in the semifinals.

Aaron Lewis did well to reach the final in the men’s 60m hurdles advancing with times of 8.11 in the preliminary heats then 7.98 in the semifinals but was disqualified in the medal race.

Several T&T’s student/athletes also featured at the Kentucky meet, like University of Minnesota freshman Akilah Lewis, who had the 12th fastest time in the women’s 60m with 7.56 while she was 22nd in the 200m timed final with 24.84.

Arizona State’s Jeminise Parris reached as far as the semifinals in the women’s 60m, clocking 8.68 to be 12th overall.

Dwight St Hillaire of the University of Kentucky did not compete in any individual events but took home gold in the 4x400m relay.

The senior athlete ran the third leg to help his team cross in 3:09.06 to top the podium at the Nutter Field House.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, former national champion Emmanuel Callender and Louisiana State University’s duo Akanni Hislop and Xavier Mulugata competed at the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Invitational.

The trio competed in the men’s 60m dash but none reached the medal race.

Hislop and Callender both clocked 6.83 but the former was adjudged the 10th-place finisher and the other sprinter 11th.

Mulugata, who is also a senior, was 12th in the qualifying round with 7.01 and did not advance.

In the 200m timed final, Hislop reached the podium, winning bronze with a time of 21.07.

Back down in Texas, local athletes were active at another two meets including the Texas A&M Aggie and Red Raider Invitationals.

Texas A&M junior Tyra Gittens competed in two field events, the women’s shot put and long jump at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station.

The national heptathlon record-holder placed sixth in the shot put with 13.51m but did not record a distance in the long jump.

At the Red Raider Invitational at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, New Mexico Junior College (JC) Ayla Stanisclaus and Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Martinez faced the starter in the women’s 200m timed final, Western Texas College’s Shikyla Walcott and Jalen Purcell also of New Mexico JC competed in the respective women’s and men’s 60m.

Freshman Stanisclaus placed ninth with a 24.11-clocking while Martinez, another first-year student, raced in the B section and was 31st with 25.63.

Walcott, a sophomore, placed 42nd in the dash in 8.00 while Purcell was ninth in the men’s race with 6.75.

He later ran the third leg in the 4x400m relay but his unit placed sixth (3:15.52).

In the NJCAA circuit, Pratt Community College (CC) sophomore Kadesha Prescott second open her season with a silver medal in the women’s 200m (25.20) at the Jayhawk Classic held at the Anschutz Sports Pavillion in Lawrence, Kansas.

Butler CC freshman Jerod Elcock’s 6.89 placed him ninth in the men’s 60m.

He and countryman Judah Taylor then formed part of Butler 4x400m relay team which won gold.

Elcock ran the anchor leg while Tayler did the second leg to have their team over the line in 3:19.34.

Safiya John excelled in the five disciplines to nab gold in the pentathlon with a tally of 3,689 points at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational, Ahearn Field House, Manhattan, Kansas.

The Arkansas-Pine Bluff sophomore placed first in the 60m hurdles (8.67), shot put (11.11m), long jump (5.62m), second in the high jump (1.67m) and third in the 800m (2:41.64).

High-schooler Taejha Badal completed a new personal best in the finals of the girls’ 60m and 200m events.

The Track Houston Youth Track Club sprinter placed fifth in both events.

She clocked 7.55 and 24.29, respectively.

Over in Scotland, Che Richards of the University of Edinburgh continues to shine, placing second in the long jump event at the Scottish National Under-17 / Senior Championship at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

On his second attempt, Richards scored the second-best distance of 7.62.