Razorback athlete Tyrice Taylor set new records for both Jamaica and the University of Arkansas in the 800m final at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Senior Championships held in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Taylor finished third with a time of 1:43.74.
Taylor entered the meet with a personal best of 1:45.23 and aimed to surpass the World Athletics qualifying standard of 1:44.50 for September’s World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. His performance broke the Jamaican national record of 1:44.40 previously set by Navasky Anderson earlier this summer. Anderson placed fourth in Saturday’s race with a personal record of 1:44.18. Taylor also surpassed the Arkansas school record of 1:44.97, which had stood since Brandon Rock set it in 1995.
Penn State’s Handal Roban, representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines, won the men’s 800m with a national record time of 1:42.87, making him No. 2 on the all-dates, all-time collegiate list for that event. Brandon Miller from the United States took second place at 1:43.15.
Taylor’s time ties him as equal No. 11 on the all-dates, all-time collegiate list alongside Earl Jones from Eastern Michigan who achieved that mark in 1984.
In other events at NACAC, Arkansas alum Shafiqua Maloney earned silver for St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the women’s 800m with a time of 1:59.98; Nia Akins from America claimed gold at 1:59.75 while Jamaica’s Kelly-Ann Beckford was third at 2:00.17.
In field events, former Razorback LaQuan Nairn finished fourth in men’s long jump with a distance of 25-8¾ (7.84 meters). Nia Robinson placed sixth in women’s long jump after leaping to a mark of 20-10½ (6.36 meters).
Additionally, Arkansas alum Nickisha Pryce led Friday’s women’s 400m prelims for Jamaica with a time of 50.39 seconds and is scheduled to compete in Sunday’s final along with Krissy Gear who will run in Sunday’s women’s steeplechase.
“Tyrice Taylor broke the Jamaican national record and Arkansas school record in placing third with a time of 1 minute, 43.74 seconds in the 800m final at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Senior Championships on Saturday evening.”
