HOT off her impressive form last year, Kimberly Williams, who was an outstanding jumper while she attended Vere Technical, started her 2009 indoor season in style by posting a National Collegiate Athletic Association qualifying mark in the triple jump last Friday night at the Virginia Technical Hokie Invitational Meet in Blacsburgh, Virginia.

A sophomore at Florida State University, Williams was in no-nonsense mood as she leapt 14.03 metres, the leading mark in the nation so far this season.

In attaining this mark, the former national junior representative had some problems as after two no- jumps on her first two attempts, she posted 12.29m on the third to advance to the final. In the final, it was the same story as she failed to put a mark on her first two attempts before making the big jump on her final attempt.

Collegiate career

At the same meet, Theon O'Connor, who was an outstanding half-miler at Campion College, made a successful start to his collegiate career. The many-time national junior representative, competing for Georgetown University, led a one-two finish for his school in the men's 600 metres Open event, winning in one minute 21.75 seconds to beat his teammate Danny Harris (1:22.28) into second place.

Former Kingston College jumper Dwight Webley could only manage a sixth-place finish for his school George Mason in the men's long jump with a mark of 7.07 metres at the same meet.

Like she did the previous week, it was another second-place finish for former Queen's High athlete Melony McKay as she posted 58.73 seconds for the runner-up spot in the women's 400 metres at the University of Maryland Invitational Meet.

Sherona Brown, the former G.C. Foster College athlete, competing for St Augustine Univesity, had a fourth-place finish in the women's 800 in two minutes, 20.85 seconds.