17 JAMAICA’S NATOYA Goule is among three headliners of the Olympic DevelopmentWomen’s 600-m on Saturday, April 29. She joins fellow Olympian, USA’s Ajee Wilson, and On Athletic Club’s Sage Hurta-Klecker, who joins the field after winning last year’s 800-m event at the Relays. Wilson comes in with the top qualifying time in the field, sporting a time of 1:22.39. A two-time Olympian, she currently ranks fifth in the world for the 800-mwhile earning her firstWorld Indoor title last March in the event in Serbia on a time of 1:59.09. Her personal best time in the 800-m was 1:55.61. Wilson’s accolades are highlighted by five world championship medals, eight national indoor titles, and a four-time national champion. Goule returns to the 600-m as well, with her personal-best time in the event coming last year during the Penn Relays of 1:24.09 where she took second behind the top-ranked athlete in the world, Athing Mu. Also, a twotime Olympian for Jamaica, she ranks fourth in the world for the 800-mwith a personal-best time of 1:56.15, a time that remains the Jamaican national record. Similar to Wilson, she has a long list of honours that include being an eight-time national champion and a silver medallist at the world indoor championships in 2014. Hurta-Klecker is returning to the Penn Relays this year with hopes of securing another victory in another Olympic Development event. Last year, she rolled to a win in the 800-mwith a time of 1:59.76. This year, she’ll move to the 600-m, an event that is new to her resume. As a typical 800-m competitor, she currently ranks eighth in the world on a personal-best time of 1:57.85 that she set last August in Monaco. Prior to joining the On team, she had a successful career with the University of Colorado, earning two NCAA titles for the indoor mile in 2021 and the indoor distance medley relay in 2017. Natoya Goule headlines Women’s OD 600m THE WEEKLY GLEANER | APRIL 17 - MAY 23, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS NEW YORK, NY: Jamaican Dalton Evans will this year join the 2023 class of seven volunteers cited by the New York Road Runners Club (NYRR) for exemplary and dedicated service as a volunteer since 1980. According to the NYRR, “These individuals embody the spirit of service and have demonstrated leadership, commitment and passion for the organisation’s mission, to help and inspire people through running.” In April 2021, NYRR launched the NYRR Volunteer Hall of Fame, welcoming its inaugural class of 11 extraordinary volunteers during a virtual ceremony. This year, on the third anniversary of Volunteer Appreciation Month, the three-hour reception and ceremony will take place – in person - on Wednesday, April 26, at Rumi, on Manhattan’sWest side and 28th Street. A bona fide member of the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA) and an overseas liaison officer to the island’s governing body of the sport, the decorated coach, at both the senior and junior levels, will be feted by the NYRR, best known for staging the annual NYC Marathon, one of the biggest and most competitive event of its kind, globally. The former head coach of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn (college) for 20 years, Evans was voted Coach of the Year in 2007 and again in 2008, joining a select group of athletics groomers who have won the coveted accolade in consecutive years. “I am extremely grateful to the NYRR andmy peers for this recognition as the sport regains its footing after being badly hobbled by the pandemic,” offered Evans, who will head out to Philadelphia, for the 127th running of the Penn Relays Carnival, a day later, but not in his usual capacity of coach/ manager for the Jamaica national team, due to programme changes by the event organiser,University of Pennsylvania. “It will not be the same. No USATF, no NIKE, so it will be left to the ‘schoolers’ to do their thing,” Evans said with an air of disappointment. The well-travelled Evans’ resume also lists Team Jamaica Bickle, Footlocker Cross Country Championship, Adidas Grand Prix and the Metro Eagles Track Club as organisations and events that have benefitted from his immense expertise and guidance. He saidhe is looking forward to the November 2023 staging of the NewYork City Marathon and greeting the more than 50,000 runners as they exit the iconic Verrazano Narrows Bridge at 4th Avenue/59th Street, the same spot he has worked as a volunteer, since signing on. Coach Evans said the recognition by the NYRR would not have been possible without the unconditional support of the Jamaican diaspora and organisations like UJAA (USA), Inc. - A.C Jamaican coach among NYRR volunteer Hall of Famer EVANS
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