Georgia sophomore sets all-conditions meet and program records in Mexico, highlighting three more titles for Americans during second session; Daniels and Hall add more international gold to resumes, Love turns the tables on NCAA champ Tausaga in discus rematch

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For all the impressive sprint and hurdling performances showcased Friday night at the 10th North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) U-23 Championships, it was the efforts of Georgia sophomore Aliyah Whisby on the long jump runway that were the most memorable for the Americans at National Stadium in Queretaro, Mexico.

Whisby produced a personal best with a wind-aided first-round effort of 22 feet, 4.50 inches (6.82m) to not only achieve the best all-conditions jump in meet history, but surpass Keturah Orji to achieve a new all-conditions program record on her way to leading a U.S. sweep of the top two spots with Northwestern State junior Jasmyn Steels.

It marked the seventh title in the event in meet history for the Americans and the fourth time the U.S. captured both gold and silver medals. Steels, the NCAA Division 1 indoor champion and outdoor runner-up, jumped a wind-aided 21-9.50 (6.64m) in the second round.

Orji jumped a wind-legal 22-4.25 (6.81m) at last year’s Southeastern Conference Championships for Georgia on her way to capturing both the long jump and triple jump titles at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships.

Former Alabama standout Quanesha Burks, the 2015 NCAA Division 1 outdoor winner and two-time NACAC gold medalist, and Kansas State graduate Akela Jones – the 2014 World U-20 gold medalist – both jumped wind-legal 22-1.50 (6.74m) efforts in 2016 to share the meet record in El Salvador. Burks capture gold over Jones based on a better second jump.

Whisby, who had jumped a wind-legal 22-2.25 (6.76m) in April at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in Athens, improved to the No. 3 all-conditions performer in the U.S. this year and equal to No. 13 all-conditions in the world.

Whisby was one of three American gold medalists during the session, along with Texas graduate Teahna Daniels in the women’s 100-meter dash and South Carolina junior Quincy Hall in the men’s 400-meter hurdles.

Daniels clocked a wind-aided 11.03 seconds to prevail against USC sophomore Twanisha Terry (11.08), with Virginia’s Halle Hazzard, representing Grenada, placing third in 11.20.

It marked the seventh championship for the Americans in the event in meet history and the fourth time the U.S. has swept the top two spots.

Daniels, who has contributed to World U-20 and Pan Am U-20 gold medals in the 4x100 relay, earned her first career individual international title after securing bronze in the 100 at the Pan Am U-20 meet in Canada in 2015.

Just like June 7 at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, Hall held off Texas Tech’s Norman Grimes, this time by a 49.77 to 50.07 margin.

Hall, who also captured the 2017 Pan Am U-20 gold medal in the 400 hurdles in Peru, secured the eighth title for the U.S. in the event in meet history and led the sixth sweep of the top two spots for the Americans.

The men’s 100-meter final was not only the most dramatic, but also the fastest in meet history, with all three podium finishers running under the previous meet record of 10.06 set in 2010 by Canada’s Sam Effah.

Purdue pulled off a sweep of the top two spots, with Jamaica’s Waseem Williams clocking a wind-legal 10.002 to edge Samson Colebrooke of the Bahamas (10.004) and Houston’s Mario Burke (10.010), representing Barbados.

It marked the first gold medal in the men’s 100 in meet history for Jamaica and was also the first time since 2000 the Americans were left off the podium in the event.

Jamaica added another gold medal in the women’s discus throw, with Florida State’s Shanice Love earning a measure of revenge against Iowa’s Laulauga Tausaga, the NCAA Division 1 champion, after finishing second June 8 to the American in Austin, Texas.

Both Love and Tausaga surpassed the 2016 meet record of 187-8 (57.20m) held by American and former Texas A&M standout Shelbi Vaughan. Love prevailed with a throw of 197-3 (60.14m) and Tausaga secured silver with a mark of 194-9 (59.37m).

In the women’s U-18 100-meter final, Northeast FL junior Briana Williams captured another gold medal for Jamaica by running 11.11 seconds, the fastest wind-legal clocking in meet history. It marked the fourth country this year in which Williams has won the 100, along with Cayman Islands, the U.S. and Jamaica.

In U-23 qualifying races, North Carolina A&T junior Trevor Stewart led all competitors into the men’s 400-meter final for the U.S., clocking 45.27. Baylor graduate Wil London III also won his heat in 46.47.

Kentucky’s Chloe Abbott led all women’s 400 qualifiers into the final in 51.66, where she’ll be joined by fellow American Syaira Richardson of Texas A&M (53.30), along with USC’s Kyra Constantine (52.22), representing Canada.