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Johnson C. Smith graduate Shermaine Williams earned a spot on Jamaica’s Olympic team in the 100 meter hurdles. Rio will be Williams’ second Olympiad, tying her with Vince Matthews (1968, ‘72) for the most by a JCSU athlete.

Johnson C. Smith has a pair of Rio Olympians.

Kendra Clarke and  Shermaine Williams qualified for the Rio Olympics, marking the second straight Olympiad in which a pair of Golden Bulls will participate.

Clarke, a redshirt freshman, will run the 400 meters for Canada while Williams, a 2012 graduate, will represent Jamaica in the 100 meter hurdles. Williams’ sister, Daneille, a 2014 JCSU graduate and 2015 World Championships gold medalist in 100 meter hurdles, failed to make the national team after falling in the final.

Clarke, an Edmonton, Alberta resident, clocked 52.19 in the women’s 400 meters final in her hometown of Edmonton last week to claim third place and best the 52.20 Olympic qualifying standard. She also will run on Canada’s 4x400 team.

"I've worked so hard, and I'm here," Clarke told CBC News.

Clarke won gold in the same event on the same track last summer at the Pan American Junior Championships.

Williams, who advanced to the final of the 100 meter hurdles in the London Olympics in 2012, clocked 12.90 seconds to earn second at the Jamaican trials held at the National Stadium in Kingston last week. The Olympic qualifying standard was 13 seconds.

Williams is the second JCSU athlete to qualify for two Olympiads. Sprinter Vince Matthews won gold medals in 1968 (Mexico City and 1972 (Munich).
The 2016 Olympic track and field events begin Aug. 12, and continue  through Aug. 21.

Clarke, who is participating in her first Olympiad, said she listened closely to fellow Olympian Damian Warner when he compared the number of people on Earth (7 billion) to the number of lanes on the Olympic track (eight).

"That really meant something to me," Clarke said. "Because, eight lanes on the track - and you are one of those people on the lanes - means you worked hard for it."

Listen to Shermaine Williams on the Sports Charlotte podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/herb-white-the-charlotte-post/sports-charlotte-ep-2

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