Sheniqua Ferguson Has Beaten Fynes and Clarke!

Will there be a changing of the guard somewhat among the country’s fastest female sprinters in 100 metres?

The women’s 200m will also.

National record holders in the 100M and 200M, Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, are in another class. But the rest of the gang could present some interesting battles.

Many fans and locally based athletes are now anxious to see how rising high school female sprinters Sheniqua Ferguson, 16, and D’Shonda Webb, 16, will compare once they line up in the nationals.

Sturrup and Ferguson-McKenzie when running at their best, are in another class. Now, though it appears from what has been happening recently that Savatheda Fynes and Tamica Clarke are within reach of the young lady speedsters.

Sheniqua Ferguson and Webb will be sharp following the High School National Championships that they skipped to compete at a meet hosted by the University of Miami, and after having competed at the Carifta Championships in April.

Ferguson has already beaten two Golden Girls. She beat Tamicka Clarke head-to-head in an early season meet held by the BAAA in February.

Ferguson and Webb clocked a faster time in their heat 11.75 and 11.70 respectively to beat out Savatheda Fynes at the University of Miami Elite Invitational in March. Fynes was 8th overall in a time of 11.85 seconds.

Two weeks ago Ferguson, was surprised to learn that she was ranked number two in the world in the 200 metres among junior female sprinters and 55th in the world once added to the women’s list.

Grand Bahamas’ Nivea Smith was ranked sixth by the IAAF among junior females in the 200m.

At the time Ferguson, a student at Jordan Prince Williams, who has proven to be a focused and well-grounded athlete, said the reality of her success so far has not set in.

Once the best times of all of the mentioned female sprinters are compared so far this season it is clear that the women’s 100 metres will be interesting.

However, with at least three weeks to go there is a strong possibility that each of the competitors will improve on their season’s best time.

At the Carifta Championships Ferguson ran a season and personal best time of 11.63 in the 100m for second place and her Bahamas Speed Dynamics training partner D’Shonda Webb was fourth in 11.81 seconds.

Two years ago, Webb from RM Bailey was considered the top junior female sprinter in the country. But, while she was taking a season and a half to recover fully from her injuries, Ferguson matured and took over that position, and it seems as if Webb is going to have to work hard reclaim her top spot.

The friendly rivalry between Ferguson and Webb is similar to the rivalry between Fynes and Ferguson-McKenzie during their high school days.

On Monday Officials at the BAAA office said they have not been in close contact with Sturrup and cannot say why she has not been running competitively.

With the nationals approaching, BAAA officials say they expect to hear from Sturrup and many of the other top athletes in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Petra Munroe a senior at Notre Dame can also be added to the list of sprinters having run 11.76 seconds so far this season. She may not be a strong contender to win but she could possibly make a difference on any women’s 4x100 relay tem that may be assembled.

One thing is certain about the female sprinters in the 100m. If they plan to have an impact on the world scene or at the coming Senior Central American And Caribbean Championships in Columbia they will all have to improve their times significantly.

On Sunday JamaicanVeronica Campbell won the Women’s 100m at the Adidas Classic in California in a time of 10.99 seconds and American Melissa Barber was second in 11.06 seconds showing that they are in top form.

Ferguson-McKenzie competed in the 200m at the Adidas Classic and finished 5th in 22.76 seconds.

The women’s 200M should be up for grabs.

It is Ferguson-McKenzie’s specialty, but during her absence last season, quarter-miler Christine Amertil has shown that she too can drop down and be competitive at the shorter sprint as she is currently ranked in the top 25 in the world in that event by the IAAF.

At the 2005 World Championships Amertil clocked 22.58 seconds in the 200m but failed to advance to the semi-final round. She was certain she could go faster but the adverse weather conditions took its toll on her physically and mentally at those championships.

Meanwhile, at the Carifta Championships Ferguson won the 200m in a time of 23.44 and she says if she is going to give Ferguson-McKenzie and Amertil a push in the 200 she knows she will have to run under 23 seconds before going into the nationals which is a goal she has set for herself.

There is also a chance that Olympic and World Champion quarter-miler Tonique Williams-Darling may enter the 200 metre event and sit out the 400m like she did last year just to satisfy the rules of having to compete at the nationals to be apart of the national team.

Her 400m spot on the team is a lock and only Amertil could give her a possible challenge in the 400m.