Jamaican Athletes Shine at the MEAC Indoor Competition

The Main Stars were Johnson, Rhooms and Dillon

Jamaicans Johnelle Johnson and Zachery Dillon won shot put events in women’s and men’s competitions. Earlier this week, Kobe-Jordan Rhooms competed in the Mid-Eastern American Conference (MEAC) indoors track and field championships. Rhooms dominated the men’s jump and finished with three medals.

The three athletes were impressive throughout the three-day event, helping their college finish third in both female and male sections.  They all study in the Morgan State University.

Dillon and John Purvis were involved in a two-man-race that had supporters on their feet. Dillon stole the day with a MEAC-leading and personal best time of 17.07m.

Dillon, who has previously studied in Calabar High, improved on his former indoor best of 16.84m. He secured another personal best 14.01m in the weight throw competition. He finished ninth in this competition.

The winner of the women’s shot put was Johnson, the MEAC leader and the former Edwin Allen student coming into the championships. He threw an impressive 13.35m. The fourth position was taken by teammate and former Hydel High student Terine Lambert. Lambert recorded a distance of 12.63m.

Rhooms might have lost his triple jump crown but he still had his best indoor championships. Rhooms is currently in his fifth year at Morgan State. He has previously studied in Cornwall College.

He repeated his indoors personal best 2.10m but lost the countback. He was second in the high jump.

North Carolina Central’s Marvin Jones cleared 2.10m to win the subsequent tie-breaker. Rhooms had to try three times to clear the final height.

Omari McKenzie, who is also from Morgan State, finished sixth in his debut high jump tournament. He recorded a mark of 1.89m.

Norfolk State’s Kara Grant recorded a time of 2:15.98 seconds to finish third in the women’s 800m.

About Author