Burke on the double

Barbados’ national 100 metres champion Mario Burke is now the sprint double king in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Outdoor Championships.

The 21-year-old Burke, who is on an athletics scholarship at the University of Houston, won both the 100 and 200 metres with lifetime best times at Cincinnati’s Gettler Stadium last weekend.

He clocked 10.13 seconds to win Saturday’s 100 metres, which featured four of his Houston teammates, including race favourites, Cameron Burrell, who placed second, and Elijah Hall.

Personal best

The time is a new personal best for Burke, who is tied for No.12 position on the NCAA season rankings.

On Sunday Burke outsprinted fellow All-America teammate Kahmari Montgomery at the finish line to snatch gold in the 200 metres with a meet and stadium record 20.48 seconds. Burrell finished third in 20.93 seconds.

The mark surpasses Burke’s previous best of 20.60 set last year.

For good measure, Burke completed the sprint triple crown when he teamed up Burrell, John Lewis III and Nicholas Alexander as Houston claimed their sixth straight title in the men’s 4×100-metre relay in 39.22 seconds.

Burke’s Cougars amassed 172 points to win their 16th conference championship in the programme’s history and third straight at AAC Outdoor Championships.

Third straight

It was the third straight title for the Cougar men, while the women won their first maiden conference championship.

Meanwhile, at the MVC Outdoor Championships, hosted by the Indiana State University, Burke’s former Harrison College schoolmate Asha Cave clocked a career-best 11.55 seconds in the 100 metres.

Cave, a junior at Missouri State, also finished fourth in the 200 metres with a wind-aided 23.37 seconds (wind 3.5). (EZS)