Knott, Cray deliver season-best clockings

MANILA, Philippines — Southeast Asian Games double-gold medalist Kristina Knott continued to progress in her quest to meet the Tokyo Olympics cut in both the 100 and 200 meters after a strong effort in the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rogue, Louisiana yesterday.

The 24-year-old Filipino-American timed in 11.28 seconds for a fifth-place finish in the century dash and 23.17 for the bronze in the 200m. More importantly, she inched closer to reaching the Olympic standard times of 11.15 and 22.80.

Knott submitted her season best in the 100m, bettering her 11.36 in the Pure Athletics Invitational in Clermont, Florida two weeks ago and the 11.54 in the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin last month.

She also came close to eclipsing her own 100m national record of 11.27 she set in the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa last year, shattering the long-standing mark of 11.28 by former Asia’s sprint queen Lydia de Vega-Mercado in the 1987 Jakarta Southeast Asian Games.

Eric Cray, a 2016 Rio veteran, meanwhile, also came through with a season-best effort of 51.20 in 400m hurdles, which was good for eighth spot.