Roneisha McGregor continued her impressive early-season sprinting display on Saturday (May 29), as she captured the 400 metres at the Jamaica Olympic Association/Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association Olympic Destiny Series 2, at the National Stadium.

At the start of the Destiny Series one week earlier, McGregor ran personal best to win both the 100 and 200 metres events and showed her versatility on Saturday, by going out hard from the start and although tiring towards the end, held off a late challenge by Tovea Jenkins.

McGregor, who is at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and aligned to Puma, stopped the clock at 51.51 seconds, with SpinTec’s Jenkins doing 51.77 and Christine Day of Cameron Blazers clocking 52.75.

The time enabled McGregor to collect the $100,000 for winners of the premier events at the Destiny Series, which is being held for the first time this year and incentivises to allow local athletes who get limited or no opportunities to participate in the overseas meets, to earn something.

To earn, however, the athletes have to achieve a prescribed time or distance in the events that are dubbed premier or classic. The winner of the classic events who attained the designated mark earns $70,000.

Olympian Shericka Jackson of MVP Track Club also collected a share of the money, as she clocked a personal best of 11.02 to win the women’s 100 metres, ahead of teammate Shockori Wallace, who did 11.34, with Jodean Williams of Racers Track Club ending third in 11.44. All three ran in the first of the four-section event.

Like Jackson, Nigel Ellis of MVP also collected $100,000 for winning the men’s 100 metres in 10.17 seconds. Ellis, running in section one, took the lead approximately 50 metres in the race but was given a battle by a determined Oshane Bailey of SprinTec.

Bailey also clocked 10.17 seconds, with World Championships’ long jump gold medal winner, Tajay Gayle of MVP winning section two in 10.18 to get the third spot.

MVP’s Janieve Russell won the 400 metres hurdles event in 54.75 seconds and collect the $70,000 prize money. Russell won without competition from the other three athletes in the race. Rushell Clayton of Swept Track Club was second in 56.83 seconds and Ristananna Tracey Bailey-Cole third in 58.56.

The men’s 400 metres hurdles was won by former Wolmer’s standout Jaheel Hyde of Swept Track Club, who shot from the blocks and left his rivals behind early. Hyde did 49.87 seconds with Owayne Rusell of Racers Track Club finishing second in 50.73 and Troy Whyte of GC Foster College getting third in 50.97.