It was a bitter-sweet weekend for a pair of former Barton women sprint stars.
For Simone Facey, it was a memorable weekend as she earned a spot at the World Championships later this year in London by finishing second in a pair of events at the Jamaican Senior Nationals in Kingstown.
For Veronica Campbell-Brown – the most prized sprinter in the country’s history – it was a forgettable weekend. Campbell-Brown has to withdraw from the Nationals due to a knee injury.
“I was forced to withdraw from the JA National Senior Championships due to discomfort in my right knee,” the 35-year old Campbell-Brown tweeted out Thursday night, the opening day of competition.
It hasn’t been like age has caught up to the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 200m. She had turned in the third fastest time in the world this year in the 100m at 10.84. But all indications are she will not be part of her sixth World Championship Games.
Meanwhile, Facey will be make her second appearance in the World Championships and the first time the former Cougar will run in the 100m. She finished sixth at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin in the 200m.
Facey cruised through the opening round of the 100m on Thursday with the second fastest time then barely snuck into the finals Friday morning with a third place finish her heat and the sixth fastest overall time of 11.14.
In the finals, Facey was cruising once again. The 32-year old edged out a close group for second, running an 11.04 to earn her first trip to the World Championships in the 100m. Elaine Thompson won the race with the fastest time in the world this year in 10.72.
Facey just missed a National Championship in the 200m Sunday when ran a 22.74 for second once again, just behind the winning time of 22.71 by Shashalee Forbes.
Two more athletes with Barton ties competed in Kingston. Kevin Nedrick, a Cougar to be next season, and Sanjae Lawrence, a freshman on last year’s team, competed in the throws.
Nedrick took fourth in the shot put at 58-3 while Lawrence was seventh at 54-5.5. Nedrick also threw the discus where he took eighth at 176-1.
The 2017 World Championships will take place Aug. 4-13 in London.