Another national record from Serena Brown, and a personal best run from Devynne Charlton, highlighted an impressive weekend for Bahamian athletes at the Drake and SEC Relays.
Starting with the latter, Brown, who is still a junior, proved that she is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the women's discus. She broke the national record in the women's discus for the fifth time in her brief athletics career, throwing it 56.84 meters (m) -- 186' 6", in the SEC Relays at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Friday.
Brown continues to make tremendous strides in the discus. She had four throws over 54m (177' 2") in the competition, and was more than two meters over her previous national record of 54.67m (179' 4") that she set just three weekends ago at the 38th Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Brown's massive throw is the sixth best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) this season, and moved her to number two in the world for junior women. Only Alexandra Emilianov, of Moldova, has a farther throw among junior women (57.10m - 187' 4").
The Texas A&M University freshman is also less than five meters off the qualifying distance for the London World Championships. The qualifying mark for the world championships is 61.20m (200' 9"), and the 16th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships is set for August 4-13, in London, England.
University of Mississippi junior Janeah Stewart was second in that competition at the SEC Relays with a throw of 56m flat (183' 8"), and Tennessee sophomore Stamatia Scarvelis finished third with a best throw of 54.06m (177' 4").
Brown also took part in the discus, and was eighth in that event with a throw of 13.93m (45' 8-1/2"). Stewart won that event with a massive throw of 17.82m (58' 5-1/2").
One Bahamian athlete who has qualified for the London World Championships is Purdue junior Devynne Charlton.
Charlton got a chance to step on the track with four Olympians from a year ago, and some of the fastest women ever in the women's 100m hurdles, including world record holder Keni Harrison, of the United States, at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday.
She didn't disappoint as she turned in a personal best time and new school record of 12.89 seconds to finish fifth. Harrison won comfortably in 12.56 seconds; American Jasmine Stowers was second in 12.76 seconds; and another American Dawn Harper-Nelson was third in 12.79 seconds. Queen Harrison, another American, was fourth in 12.86 seconds.
Charlton was the only collegiate athlete in the field, and she defeated Rio de Janeiro Olympics bronze medalist Kristi Castlin (13.10) and Rio de Janeiro Olympics finalists, sisters Cindy Ofili (12.92) and Tiffany Ofili-Porter (13.20). Ofili was sixth, Castlin was seventh and Ofili-Porter ended up eighth.
Charlton had the fastest start of the entire field and had a lead after three hurdles. From there, she closed out the race with a wind-legal time of 12.89 seconds on a rainy track. Charlton's time ranks sixth in the NCAA this season and is the top time in the Big Ten. Her time is also among the 20 fastest times in the world this year.
Charlton also ran the lead-off leg for Purdue's women's shuttle hurdle relay team that won for the second time in program history. Charlton gave the Purdue Boilermakers a lead after a great first leg. From there, Savannah Roberson and Symone Black were able to maintain a lead of about five meters, before Shantrya Delaney brought it home for the win for the Boilermakers. The team finished with a time of 53.85 seconds. That time is the fastest by a winning NCAA Division I program in the event since 2001.
Another Bahamian, Rio de Janeiro Olympics finalist Pedrya Seymour ran the shuttle hurdle relay for the Illinois Illini. She ran the opening led for the Illini and led them to a second place finish behind Purdue in 54.54 seconds. Seymour ran the heats of the college women's 100m hurdles for Illinois, but didn't line up for the final. She ran 13.16 seconds in the heats. Seymour and the Illini women were fourth in the 4x100m relay in 45.49 seconds. Iowa won in 45.17 seconds, Ohio State finished second in 45.37 and Kansas State was third in 45.49 seconds.
Bahamian Carmiesha Cox ran on Purdue's winning 4x400m relay team. She and her teammates crossed the finish line in 3:34.31, to give Purdue their first ever win in the event at the Drake Relays. Cox had a split of 53.47 seconds on her third leg.
The Boilermakers are done until the Big Ten Championships in two weeks time. That meet will be hosted by Penn State University.

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