Hibbert heads four J’cans named NCAA regional winners

Jaydon Hibbert was among four Jamaicans that captured US Collegiate track and field regional awards after their exploits during the recent NCAA Indoor Division I season.

Hibbert was the most outstanding of the quartet, following his extraordinary feat in the triple jump at the culminating NCAAA Indoor Division I Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The others are Owayne Owens, Lamara Distin and Demisha Roswell.

The former Kingston College jumper, Hibbert, a freshman at the University of Arkansas, was named South Central Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year.

His winning distance of 17.54 metres in copping the triple jump title broke the previous collegiate best indoor mark of 17.40 metres and put him at No. 2 all-time on the overall collegiate list for both indoor and outdoor.

Owens, the former Cornwall College jumper who competes for the University of Virginia, was named the best in the field for the South East Region, following his third-place finish in the triple jump, with a personal best of 16.69 metres.

Commonwealth Games high jump gold medallist Distin of Texas A&M University continued her unbeaten collegiate heroics at the Championships. The former Rusea's, Vere Technical and Hydel High representative was named South Central Region Female Field Event Athlete after her winning height of 1.91 metres.

Distin has been outstanding at the collegiate level as she has never had a winning mark of less than 1.90 metres, with her 1.97 height done at the Tiger Paw Invitational in mid February being the No. 3 mark in collegiate history.

Distin's former teammate at Vere Technical and a sprint hurdle standout for Texas Technical University, Roswell, was the best on the track for the Mountain Region.

Roswell, who finished fifth at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championship in the Women's 60 metres hurdles in 8.00 seconds, clocked the identical time four times in the season. Earlier in the season at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, she clocked a personal best of 7.92 seconds over the barriers.