RACERS Track Club's Annsert Whyte stole the spotlight on yesterday's opening day of the JAAA Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at the National Stadium, as he posted a personal best of 48.69 seconds in winning heat II of the men's 400 metres Hurdles.

Whyte will be the fastest male qualifier for today's final, which is slated for 8:30 p.m.

Whyte, who has only been doing the event for two years, and made it to the senior World Championships a year ago, seemed a man on a mission as he decimated his rivals. The field included defending and four-time national champion Leford Green. Green had to settle for second in 50.14 seconds, with Josef Robertson finishing third in 51.10 seconds. The winning time done by Whyte was the first time he was going sub-49 seconds and easily beat his previous best of 49.17 seconds. The time is also the second fastest by a Jamaican so far this season in the event, just behind Roxroy Cato's 48.67 seconds.

In the first heat it was Racers Track Club Demar Murray who went out very fast, but faded in the end as Cato rallied to take the event easily in 49.96 seconds.

In the women's event, which got things under way yesterday, world leader Kaliese Spencer showed her class, looking quite relaxed throughout the race as she won heat one in a respectful 54.63 seconds. Spencer got the better of the University of Technology's Janieve Russell who was second in 56.05, as Shevon Stoddart finished third in 56.76 seconds.