AKELA JONES overcame the disappointment of a modest showing in the 60 metres hurdles with a lifetime best clearance in the high jump in the women’s pentathlon at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in Alabama yesterday.
The 21-year-old Pan Am Games bronze medallist finished at the back of the field in the opening event after hitting the last hurdle, clocking 10.98 secs. She collected just 540 points, more than 500 points behind winner Kendell Williams of Georgia, who clocked 8.09 secs.
She was 15th and last in the overall standings at that stage, but the talented Jones bounced back with a vengeance and was better than all the rest in both the high jump and the shot put. Jones went over the high jump bar at 1.98 metres and then put the shot 13.59 metres.
Those two standout performances took Jones from 15th to 11th. Up to the time of writing, Jones was preparing for the long jump, the fourth discipline of the five-event pentathlon.
