Three LSU athletes win silver medals in Trinidad

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — Three LSU track and field athletes — alum Jamaal James and seniors Kyron Blaise and Semoy Hackett — won silver medals Sunday as the Sagicor National Open Track and Field Championships concluded.

James — who finished second in the men’s 800-meter run in 1 minute, 47.25 seconds, trailing Aaron Evans (1:46.69) of Bermuda — was crowned the Trinidad & Tobago national champion for the season as his country’s top finisher at the event.

Hackett won her second silver medal of the weekend by running 22.98 in the 200 final, just behind Auburn’s Kai Selvon (22.96). Hackett also won silver Saturday in the 100 with a time of 11.14.

With her performance, Hackett has earned her trip to London for the Olympics in both sprints for Trinidad & Tobago. She set a Trinidad & Tobago record of 22.55 in the 200 during the collegiate season

Blaise also won his second medal of the weekend as he jumped a series-best of 52 feet, 3¾ inches in the triple jump with his sixth and final attempt behind the winning mark of 53-0¾ in the third round by Chris Hercules.

Blaise won the long jump Saturday with a top mark of 25-0 ½ that was also recorded in the sixth round of the final.