Shericka Jackson and Andrew Hudson keyed a big Jamaican team performance at last weekend’s NACAC Open Championships in Freeport, Bahamas. Overall, Jamaica won 6 gold, 9 silver and 9 bronze medals to place second overall. Jackson won the women’s 100m with an effortless clocking of 10.83 seconds on the first day of the August 19-21 event and on the last day, Hudson zoomed 19.87 seconds in the men’s 200m.

In still conditions, Jackson cruised to a time of 10.98 seconds in the heats and returned to score her 9th sub-11 of the 2022 season to win ahead of American Celera Barnes and Jamaican teammate Natasha Morrison.

It was the first of six victories by Jamaicans in Freeport. National 200m champion Hudson closed the show with a flawless race to become the 9th fastest Jamaican of all time.

Gold

The other Jamaican winners were Ackeem Blake, 9.98 seconds to win the men’s 100m, Shiann Salmon, 54.22 to beat teammate Janieve Russell in the 400m hurdles, Christopher Taylor, winner over compatriot Nathon Allen with a personal best of 44.63 in the men’s 400m and Traves Smikle, 62.89m to beat training partner Fedrick Dacres, 62.71, in the men’s discus.

Adelle Tracey raced to silver and bronze medals in the women’s 1500m and 800m, where her time in the latter was a notable 1 minute 59.54 seconds behind the US pair Ajee Wilson and Allie Wilson.

Silver

2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle garnered a silver medal in the long jump. Also, Olympic bronze medal winner Megan Tapper, in the 100m hurdles and Jamaica’s teams in the mixed 4x400m, men’s 4x400m and the women’s 4x400m relays.

Bronze

Bronze was the prize attained by Shawn-D Thompson in the long jump, 2015 World Championships 3rd place O’Dayne Richards in the shot, 2018 World Under 20 runner-up Orlando Bennett in the men’s 110m hurdles, 2014 Commonwealth champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson in the women’s 400m, 2019 World Championships finalist Chanice Porter in the long jump and the Jamaican teams in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays.

The 37 member team scored 24 medals overall. That figured exceeds the 22 medal total won by the 2018 NACAC aggregation. The 2018 team, however, collected 7 gold medals compared to 6 won in Freeport last weekend.

Notable Performances

There were 3 brilliant non-Jamaican performances at the meet. Home town hero Shaunae Miller-Uibo cruised home in the 400m in 49.40 seconds and Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands blitzed the 400m hurdles in 47.34 seconds. In the men’s 110m hurdles, Bennett scorched a personal best of 13.18 in third. He was a step behind the American pair of Freddie Crittenden and Jamal Britt who logged fast times of 13.00 and 13.08 seconds respectively.

Crittenden is now the joint third fastest man this season.