Port-of-Spain TRI - Marc Burns and Candice Scott were named Trinidad and Tobago’s athletes of the year at the National Amateur Athletic Association's (NAAA) annual awards function, at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom in Port-of-Spain, on Saturday.

Burns, who turned 23 on Saturday, enjoyed his best season on the track in 2005. In June, the US-based sprinter joined the elite sub-10 club when he bolted to victory in 9.96 seconds in the Sagicor National Open Championship men's 100 metres final. In July, Burns seized 100m silver at the CAC (Central American and Caribbean) Senior Championships, in Nassau, Bahamas, in 10.02 seconds, the same time produced by gold medallist Darrel Brown, his Trinidad and Tobago teammate and training partner.

Another highpoint of Marc's season came in August at the World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki, Finland. He earned a lane in the 100m final, finishing seventh in the championship race.

Burns, who was home for the Christmas holidays but returned to his Alabama training base last week, closed off his 2005 campaign in fine style, at the World Athletics Final, in Monaco, in September. The T&T track star won the 100m dash in a fast ten seconds flat to guarantee his lien on the NAAA's Male Athlete of the Year award.

In addition to his individual successes, Burns was part of the T&T 4x100m team that claimed silver at the Worlds in a national record time of 38.10 seconds, missing out on gold by just two-hundredths of a second.

Burns' Monaco century triumph and the sprint relay silver in Helsinki, as well as Keston Bledman's men's 100m bronze at the World Youth (under-18) Championships in Marrakesh, Morocco and T&T's World Youth men's medley relay silver, were recognised as the outstanding performances in 2005.

Scott was the automatic choice for the NAAA's Female Athlete of the Year award.

In Helsinki, the 2003/2004 Sportswoman of the Year created history by becoming the first T&T woman to secure a top-eight finish at the Worlds. She copped eighth spot in the hammer throw with a 66.55 metres effort.

Scott also had the satisfaction of joining the elite 70-metre club, last year. In mid-May, she threw the hammer 71.45m, a new national record, to triumph at the Armed Forces Day Invitational, in Marietta, Georgia.

Another highlight of the awards function was the induction of Hasely Crawford and Edwin Roberts into the CAC Hall of Fame.

Crawford is T&T’s first and only Olympic gold medallist. He captured the men's 100m title at the 1976 Montreal Games, in Canada.

“It is with deep pride and honour that I accept this award. Thirty years ago, when I completed my Olympic feat,” Crawford continued, “I never envisioned that the Olympic gold would today still be a rare commodity for us in Trinidad and Tobago. I want to publicly state that nothing would please me more than to see a repeat of this feat at the next Olympic Games.”

Roberts bagged men's 200m bronze at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and was a member of the T&T 4x400m team that finished third in Tokyo. And in 1966, Roberts was part of the T&T quartet that established a new 4x440 yards world record of three minutes, 02.8 seconds, in winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.

Following his induction, Roberts said he still has ambitions in track and field.

“The last thing I would like to do before I leave the face of the earth is to coach a Trinidad team.”

CAC Athletic Confederation (CACAC) president Victor Lopez described Crawford and Roberts as “two of the best sprinters in world history”.

HONOUR ROLL

CAC Hall of Fame Inductees-Edwin Roberts, Hasely Crawford

Male Athlete of the Year-Marc Burns

Female Athlete of the Year-Candice Scott

Most Outstanding Performances-Marc Burns (World Athletics Final men's 100m gold), Keston Bledman (World Under-18 Championship men's 100m bronze), Kevon Pierre/Marc Burns/Jacey Harper/Darrel Brown (World Championship men's 4x100m silver), Kieron Anthony/Keston Bledman/Ade Alleyne-Forte/Kervin Morgan/Zwede Hewitt (World Under-18 Championship men's medley relay silver)

Most Outstanding Combined Event Athlete-Natoya Baird

Most Outstanding Male Road Runner-Curtis Cox

Most Outstanding Female Road Runner-Pilar McShine

Most Outstanding Men's Open Track Athlete-Marc Burns

Most Outstanding Women's Open Track Athlete-Kelly-Ann Baptiste

Most Outstanding Men's Open Field Athlete-Chris Hercules

Most Outstanding Women's Open Field Athlete-Candice Scott

Most Outstanding Boys Under-20 Track Athlete-Keston Bledman

Most Outstanding Girls Under-20 Track Athlete-Kelly-Ann Baptiste

Most Outstanding Boys Under-20 Field Athlete-Kellon Marshall

Most Outstanding Girls Under-20 Field Athlete-Rhonda Watkins

Most Outstanding Boys Under-17 Track Athlete-Kervin Morgan

Most Outstanding Girls Under-17 Track Athlete-Sade St Louis

Most Outstanding Boys Under-17 Field Athlete-Kyron Blaise

Most Outstanding Girls Under-17 Field Athlete-Precious Rogers

Most Outstanding Boys Under-15 Track Athlete-Shermund Allsop

Most Outstanding Girls Under-15 Track Athlete-Michelle Lee Ahee

Most Outstanding Boys Under-15 Field Athlete-Julian Fletcher

Most Outstanding Girls Under-15 Field Athlete-Carisa Leacock

Most Outstanding Boys Under-13 Athlete-Kevon Solomon

Most Outstanding Girls Under-13 Athlete-Kernesha Spann

Most Outstanding Boys Under-11 Athlete-Maureba Fox

Most Outstanding Girls Under-11 Athlete-Desiree Harper

Service Through the Years-Alma Thompson, Yvonne Mitchell, Oliver “Mikey” Lambert (posthumous), Hubert Francis (posthumous), Clyde James (posthumous), Rawle Raphael, Horace Hart, Wilton Jackson, Dr. Basil Ince

Loyal & Dedicated Service in 2005-John Andalcio, Earl Bonn, Winston Brown, Lester Bruce, Frankie Francis, Nadine Hamid, George Henry, Noel Hyland, Michelle Pennie, Anthony Joseph, Roy Riley, Winston Rudder, Michelle Stoute, Marsha Thompson, Davina Washington, Sarah Washington, Dawn Washington, Clayton Williams, Claudette Willoughby, Carl Wyatt

Outstanding Corporate Support-NGC, Petrotrin, Guardian Holdings, NLCB.