Joella Lloyd won the 60-meter dash and was third over 200 meters at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite meeting held at Rector Field House in Blacksburg, Virginia on the weekend.
She also ran the second leg of Tennessee’s mile relay team that ran a season-best 3:38.29 seconds while winning gold ahead of Virginia Tech and Duke, respectively.
On Friday, the 19-year-old sophomore at Tennessee won the 60 meters in a season-best 7.33 seconds pulling away from Virginia Tech’s Kennedy Dennis, who won silver in a season-best 7.44. Brittany Aveni was third in 7.51, also a season-best.
Earlier on Friday, Lloyd won her preliminary heat in 7.43 seconds, the fastest time going into the finals. However, Dennis was second fastest just 0.01 slower. However, the teen from Jennings Village in Antigua, said she was confident of victory.
“I am pleased with my performance. I felt that coming out of the preliminaries with the fastest time gave me a boost in confidence that enabled me to pull through with a season-best in the finals,” she told Sportsmax. TV.
She admitted, though, that she had an eye on Dennis, whom she saw as a potential spoiler.
“When I was going into the final, I was mostly concerned about Kennedy Dennis from Virginia Tech because she is a stronger starter than I am but I caught up around 30m and dominated after that point.”
Lloyd would add to her medal haul on Saturday when she finished third in the 200m in 24.34. Aveni, who was third in the 60m emerged the winner in a fast 23.56 while Cha’Mia Rothwell ran 23.97 for second place.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s Carey McLeod won a silver medal with his best effort of 16.18m in the men’s triple jump won by his teammate Jalen Tate with 16.26m.
Clive Pullen jumped 16.14m for third.
Fiona Richards of Virginia Tech threw 14.58m for third in the women’s shot put that was won by Essence Anderson, also of VT, who hit a mark of 17.01m. Abena Atoubi of Pittsburgh was the runner up having hit a mark of 14.77m. (www.sportsmax.tv)