By Carlena Knight
National sprinter Joella Lloyd, despite not continuing her historic performance in the NCAA 100m and 200m finals after finishing 9th and 8th in both races, was named as a Second and First Team All American.
Lloyd competing in the 100m on Saturday at the NCAA Championships in the US, finished in a time of 11.29secs in 9th place.
She did however cement a new national record and personal best time of 11.08secs that she ran a day earlier in the semi-finals.
Despite the placement here in the 100m finals, she was named to the Second Team All American in the 100m section.
St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred of Texas University narrowly beat Jamaica’s Kemba Nelson of Oregon University to lift the 100m title at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Both ran a time of 11.02 seconds, but only five thousandths of a second separated both women.
Abby Steiner of the University of Kentucky settled for the bronze in a time 11.08secs.
A few hours later, Lloyd would then finish 8th in the 200m final in a time of 22.80 seconds, just running seconds outside of her semi-final performance of 22.66secs, which was a new national record.
Her time in the finals, once again, despite not being good enough for a medal secured her a spot on the All-American squad in the 200m, this time as a First Team selection.
Abby Steiner won the women’s 200m in a time of 21.80secs. LSU’s Favour Ofili was second (22.05secs) and Ohio State’s Anavia Battle was third (22.33secs).
Lloyd became just the third Antiguan overall and second female Antiguan sprinter to make an NCAA Nationals 100m finals following in the footsteps of national male sprinter, Cejhae Greene and former female sprinter, Heather Samuel Daley.
She is however the first Antiguan to do the double and qualify for the NCAA finals.