Mikel Thomas attained the qualifying mark for this year’s IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Moscow, Russia in August when he clocked 13.39 in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday.
Thomas achieved the time in the heats, finishing second behind American David Oliver (13.36) to get under the 13.40 A standard and also improve on his previous best of 13.48 set last year.
In the finals, Thomas was third in a wind assessed time of 13.50. The two-time Olympian is expected to return home to compete in the inaugural TNT Elite Twilight Meet on May 3 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Rondel Sorillo was second in the men’s 100m. The 2011 World Championships 200m finalist clocked 10.26, missing the World Champs 100m B standard of 10.21.
Florida’ Jovon Toppin was sixth in the men’s 400m in 48.26 while Akeela Bravo (Jacksonville) was eighth in the women’s discus (41.46).
Toppin was a member of Florida’s team which took silver in the men’s 4x400m in 3:12.06.
Thomas is the third local athlete to surpass the World Championship qualifying standards for the outdoor season.
Sparkle McKnight clocked 52.17 to get past the women’s 400m B barrier of 52.35 while Deon Lendore zoomed past the 45.28 A mark in the men’s 400m on Saturday with a 45.00 clocking.
Aaron Armstrong, Reyare Thomas, Kashef Daniel and Robert Collingwood all registered wins at meets on the US track and field circuit. Armstrong sped to victory in the men’s 100 at Longhorn Invitational in Austin Texas.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist clocked a windy 10.29 (+3.1) to finish ahead of Adam Antoine of St Kitts/Nevis (10.30).
Armstrong was second in the 200m (20.90) with Antoine getting revenge taking the victory (20.71). Reyare Thomas (Abilene Christian) captured the women’s 100m at Michael Johnson/Dr Pepper Classic in Waco, Texas in 11.61.
Her school-mate Osei Alleyne-Forte was 10th in the 400m Afternoon race in 49.78.
Gavyn Nero (Baylor) finished seventh in the 800m (1:53.360).
Former Baylor runner Zwede Hewitt was 28th in the men’s 400m Evening in 47.81.
Daniel (Arkansas State) leapt to a personal best in taking the men’s high jump at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee with a distance of 2.12. Kendal Bacchus (Mid Tennessee State) took eighth spot in the men’s 100m (11.01) and 11th in the 200m (22.13).
Chelsea Charles (Chattahoochee Tech) was 16th in the women’s 100m in 12.55.
Collingwood and his twin brother Richard finished 1-2 in the men’s shot put at the Southeastern Lion Invitational in Hammond, Louisiana.