A strong year for Saint Lucian athletics continued this past weekend with three senior national records, two national junior records, three school records and three first-place finishes. Most of these achievements occurred in the United States, where the junior college season wrapped up with national championships alongside NCAA Division I conference championships, setting the stage for a remarkable showing by Saint Lucian athletes.
Lauralyn Clifford of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) was the headliner, improving the women’s hammer throw record for the fourth time this term, throwing 60.72m (199-2) to win the American Conference Outdoor Championships title at Norma Knobel Hunt Stadium in Denton, Texas.
Continuing the streak, Clifford, a graduate transfer to UTSA, kicked off a strong outing for the Roadrunners of Texas San Antonio. Competing for UTSA, she recorded three of her longest career throws in the ACC championship series, broke the UTSA school record, and achieved the Saint Lucia standard for the Commonwealth Games.
“It’s been a great season at UTSA, my best ever,” Clifford told St Lucia Times. “Breaking records brings me a sense of confidence and determination, knowing that I haven’t given up and continue to grow in this event. I don’t take it for granted, and it pushes me to be a better athlete.
“I put in a lot of work to get better, and breaking the national and school record is a reflection of that dedication and perseverance. I’ve been working so hard to pass the 60-metre barrier, and for it to happen three times at conference was surreal and got me excited for what’s ahead.”
At the American Conference Championships, Wichita State University athlete Jasmine Stiede shocked the field in the women’s 800m with a preliminary time of 2:09.48, the seventh-fastest in school history, which would have earned her a silver medal at the 2026 CARIFTA Games.
Augustina Charles was the fastest junior two-lapper ever before Stiede. She ran a hand-timed 2:15.1 in 1996 before departing for studies in the US.
Now, Stiede, a Shockers freshman, stormed to victory in 2:13.89 to claim the Conference title. He was named the American Conference Freshman of the Year.
Meanwhile, Khailan Vitalis, no stranger to national records, lowered the men’s 110m hurdles national mark again. He finished fifth at the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
Running for Clemson University, Vitalis went 13.59 seconds in soggy conditions after a lengthy weather delay, achieving an all-time top-10 finish in Clemson history. Earlier, in the preliminaries, he broke 13.7 for the first time with a 13.64, which also represented a national record.
Denzel Phillips, just 19 and a student at Jamaica College, set the third senior record. He completed his outdoor throwing records for Saint Lucia by adding the senior men’s shot put crown. The multiple CARIFTA medallist threw the 16lb ball 15.63m for second place at PUMA Meet #2 in Kingston, surpassing Akeem Herbert’s 14.57m mark from 2002.
At the National Junior College Championships, Naya Jules was a double All-American, set two school records and broke her own national junior record in the women’s heptathlon. The Garden City Community College sophomore threw 44.73m to take fourth place in javelin throw, and added an 11th-place finish in pole vault.
Jules placed fourth in the women’s heptathlon in Hobbs, New Mexico. Over two days, she scored 4559 points – a school and national junior record – and earned All-American honours. Her score would have secured silver at last month’s CARIFTA Games.
Meanwhile, Jenneil Jacobie increased the medal count by adding another Southland Conference high jump title to her achievements, clearing 1.76m for gold, while Michael Joseph finished sixth overall in the men’s 400m run at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship, rounding out an impressive weekend for Saint Lucian athletes.
