Briana Williams broke her 100m record twice in the space of 24 hours on Monday night (May 31) when she clocked 10.98s while winning at the Duval County Challenge in Jacksonville, Florida.

Williams, who turned 19, in March broke her own record of 11.02, when she ran 11.01 on Sunday at the JAC Summer Open in Florida on Sunday. She revealed afterwards that held something back as she planned to run even faster in Jacksonville on Monday.

She ran 10.97s in the preliminary round to advance to the final, but the wind reading of 2.5 m/s prevented that run from being recognized as the national record. However, in the final she got left in the blocks but stormed through the field to record her second sub-11 time of the night, when she blazed across the finish line in 10.98, a new personal best and national record.

“I’m super happy to have had a healthy race and also to lower my record, running 11.01 yesterday and now 10.98 today (Monday),” she said. “Though sub-11 was expected, the signs were showing in practice and coach (Ato Boldon) never stopped believing in me and I am grateful to have come out healthy.”

The USA’s Mikiah Brisco and Dezerea Bryant, ran 11.09 and 11.14 for second and third, respectively.

Williams was not the only Jamaican to have either run a season-best or personal-best time at the meet as a number of compatriots demonstrated that they were making progress as the national championships set for the end of June to select teams for the Olympics in Tokyo and the World U20 Championships in Kenya, draws closer.

Britanny Anderson, who was the runner-up at the World U20 championships in Tampere, Finland in 2018, provided an example of her remarkable progress this season when she ran a pair of fast times and won the 100m hurdles.

Anderson, who turned 20 in January clocked a personal best 12.58 in the preliminary round and followed it up with 12.59 in the finals to take advantage of the absence of race favourite Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who ran 12.50 in the preliminaries but was disqualified for a false start in the final.

Christina Clemons ran 12.64 getting across the line ahead of Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, the 2019 World Championship bronze medalist, who ran 12.65 for third.

There were also season-best times for two Jamaican 400m hurdlers – Ronda Whyte and Shian Salmon – who clocked season-best times of 54.33 and 54.97, respectively for second and third in the event won by the USA’s Shamier Little in a world-leading 53.12.

Salmon, the silver medalist in the 400m hurdles at the 2018 World U20 Championships, also ran a personal best time.

Yohan Blake, the 2011 World 100m champion, ran 10.09 for second place in the men’s 100m that was won by the USA’s Ronnie Baker, who clocked 9.99 for victory. Marvin Bracy-William crossed in third in 10.11.

In the 100m ‘B’ race, Jamaica’s Senoj-kay Givans ran 10.26 for the win over Jason Rogers of St Kitts and Nevis, who crossed the finish line in 10.29. Charles Silmon of the USA ran 10.40 for third.

Javon Francis also had a season-best time of 45.84 in his 400m race edging Quintaveon Poole, who ran 45.87. Myles Pringle was third in 46.11.

Michael Cherry won the main race in 44.74s beating Justin Robinson, who clocked 45.00 for second place. Trinidad and Tobago’s Deon Lendore was third in 45.16 while Christopher Taylor clocked a season-best 45.75 for fourth.

In one of the 200m races on the night, Trinidad and Tobago’s Asa Guevara ran 20.82 for third place. Andre Hudson of the USA won in 20.38. Jaron Flournoy was second in 20.73.

A much-anticipated clash between World Champion Grant Holloway and Olympic champion Omar McLeod failed to materialise as the latter did not show up for the finals. Holloway, the world-leader, ran 13.15 in the preliminary round, slightly faster than the 13.16 McLeod ran in his preliminary heat.

Holloway won the final in 13.10 over compatriots Devon Allen (13.22) and Daniel Roberts (13.23).

Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett was fifth in 13.47 with Trinidad and Tobago’s Ruebin Walters sixth in 13.50.