By Neto Baptiste
National junior sprinter Joella Lloyd has run her last race this season.
This was confirmed on Friday by the University of Tennessee student-athlete, who stated that leg cramps during the 200 meters semifinals at the NACAC Championships in Mexico last week have forced her to take the rest of the season off.
“I unfortunately had to end the season after the 200 meters semifinals because I started cramping up when I came off the turn, so I am going back to treatment and getting ready for next year, because after getting all these hamstring injuries, it has taken a big toll on me. I just keep thinking back to the past to get me to the future,” she said.
Lloyd clocked a new national and junior record of 11.43 seconds to finish second in the 100 meters sprint, beaten only by Jamaica’s Briana Williams with a time of 11.11 seconds in the Under-18 category. Jamaica’s Brandy Hall was third in 11.57 seconds.
The sprinter said she was pleased with her performance.
“I was extremely excited because I started the season with 11.6 and to get down to 11.4 was really amazing. I was smiling; the other athletes were watching me but I was smiling. My parents and my family were very supportive and they told me congratulations and people on Facebook were telling me congratulations,” the young athlete said.
Lloyd said, however, that her road to the NACAC silver medal had not been an easy one.
“Well, that was not a good adjustment because when I got into Mexico, it was just the morning of my 100 meet and the food wasn’t really good. It was hot and it just wasn’t really good working conditions for me. I didn’t have a choice because I was doing some exams on the day they wanted me to leave so I had to go on the Thursday,” she said.
Lloyd is set to spend time in Antigua with family and friends before resuming training in hopes of getting to next year’s Olympic Games.