Track and Field Alums Post Top Performances at International Competition

Samyr Laine breezed to victory in the triple jump on his 27th birthday (Hepstrack.com)

MAYAGUEZ, Puerto Rico – Two former members of the Harvard track and field team turned in standout performances this weekend at the Central America and Caribbean Championships. Samyr Laine '06 and Nicky Grant '02 both competed at the meet.  

Laine, representing Haiti on his 27th birthday, competed in the triple jump and posted a winning mark of 17.09 meters (56'1"). He jumped more than two feet farther than anyone else in the field, as Osniel Tosca of Cuba finished second with a jump of 16.41 (53'10.25"). Laine is still the Harvard record holder in the triple jump, as his 16.34-meter mark from 2005 still stands.  

Grant helped the Jamaican women's team dominate the meet, earning the team's first medal of the competition. Grant's hammer throw of 62.46 meters (204'11") was good for third in the competition and a bronze medal for the Harvard program record holder. Grant was also named captain of the Jamaican team for the Championships. Colombia's Johana Morena captured the women's hammer crown with a throw of 67.97 (223').