Tyra Gittens was on fire last Saturday, disturbing the sand at 6.62 metres to claim the women’s long jump national indoor record.

The leap Ñ also a Texas A&M University record Ñ earned Gittens gold at the Ted Nelson Invitational in Texas, USA, and second spot on the 2021 world indoor performance list .

Rhonda Watkins held the Trinidad and Tobago indoor record since 2007 with a 6.57m jump. Gittens would now be eyeing Watkins’ 6.82m outdoor standard.

Sao Tome and Principe athlete Agate De Sousa is the world leader at 6.68m. Gittens is second with her 6.62 personal best, with Frenchwoman Hilary Kpatcha third at 6.58.

Gittens was a satisfied athlete at the end of Saturday’s long jump. “I just wanted to execute a good approach,” said the 22-year-old, “and that’s really all that was on my mind. When I went down the runway and I realised I was in the perfect position, I just took advantage of it.”

Gittens was also golden in Saturday’s high jump, the Texas A&M senior clearing the bar at 1.83m. At the VA Showcase meet, in Virginia, Dillon Leacock won the High School Boys 500 metres event in one minute, 04.21 seconds. Leacock has ambitions of representing T&T in 2021.

In Tennessee, Cherisse Murray secured silver in the Vanderbilt Invitational women’s shot put. The University of Alabama senior threw 16.12m.

At the Orange Winter Classic outdoor meet, in Florida, Dawnel Collymore earned women’s 600m silver in 1:32.68. There was silver too for Taejha Badal at the Coach O Invite indoor meet, in Alabama, the T&T sprinter finishing second in the girls’ 17-18 200m in 24.39 seconds. Badal was fourth in the 60m dash in 7.56.

At the Post Meet Invitational, in Louisiana, Akanni Hislop bagged men’s 60m bronze. The Louisiana State University (LSU) student got to the line in 6.76 seconds.

At the Blazer Invitational, in Alabama, Adell Colthrust finished third in the men’s 60m in 6.85 seconds. And at the Vulcan Invite, also in Alabama, Colthrust was 18th overall in the 200m in 22.93.