Johnson, Griffith Among Caribbean Winners as Kerr Books Tokyo Spot at Ed Murphey Classic
Caribbean athletes produced a string of strong performances in Category F events at the 2025 Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, highlighted by Adrian Kerr of Jamaica achieving the World Championships qualifying standard in the men’s 200m.
Kerr clocked 20.09 seconds (+1.8 m/s) to finish second behind American T’Mars McCallum, who won in a blistering 19.73. More importantly, the time puts Kerr under the World Athletics Championships qualifying mark of 20.16, booking his ticket to Tokyo for September’s global showpiece. Grenada’s Nazzio John also impressed in the event, placing fourth in a quick 20.27.
Elsewhere, Printassia Johnson of The Bahamas claimed a confidence-boosting win in the women’s 400m, holding off Jamaica’s Candice McLeod in a strong display. Johnson crossed the line in 51.52, with McLeod, the national champion and Olympic finalist, second in 51.92. American Kennedy Wade was third in 52.84.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Rasheeme Griffith of Barbados powered home to victory in 49.45, comfortably ahead of Americans Gabriel Singh (51.34) and Jevon Williams (51.91). Griffith, who has been consistently building form this season, now edges closer to securing his own place in Tokyo.
In sprint action, Davonte Howell of the Cayman Islands continued his excellent run of form, placing second in the men’s 100m with a time of 9.93 seconds (+2.1 m/s). He finished behind T’Mars McCallum, who completed a sprint double in 9.87, while Rikkoi Brathwaite of the British Virgin Islands was just outside the podium in fourth, clocking 10.01.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand featured in both sprints. She placed fourth in the women’s 100m with 11.00 (+3.7 m/s), and returned to finish fourth again in the 200m in 22.68 (+2.2 m/s), narrowly behind Collinique Farrington of The Bahamas, who secured third in 22.66.
In the men’s 400m, 2023 world champion Antonio Watson of Jamaica ran a season’s best 45.24 to finish second behind Zimbabwe’s Takudzwa Chiyangwa, who won in 45.19. Though narrowly edged, the performance shows Watson trending upward with just under two months before the World Championships.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Yanique Haye-Smith of the Turks and Caicos Islands finished second in 56.74, behind American Jessica Wright (56.59), adding another solid run to her season résumé.
With victories from Johnson and Griffith, top-three finishes from McLeod, Watson, and Bertrand, and Kerr’s qualifying breakthrough, Caribbean athletes are gaining momentum as the Tokyo World Championships draw nearer.
