Port-of-Spain TRI - Winning athletes established seven Championship records, including a world junior season leading mark, on yesterday's (Sun 16) final day of the XVII Central American and Caribbean Junior Track & Field Championships, which was again dominated by Jamaica.

In the final medal count, Jamaica with 59 medals (32gold, 16 silver, 11 bronze), finished ahead of Mexico 42 (14G, 16S, 12B); Trinidad & Tobago 39 (10G, 17S, 12); Barbados 20 (8G, 4S, 8G) and Puerto Rico 23 (7G, 6S, 10B); Bahamas 23 (3G, 9S, 11B); Guatemala three (3G); Bermuda six (2G, 3S, 1B); Dominica four (1G, 1S, 2B); Cayman Islands two (1G, 1B).

Records fall

In the field, Rhonda Watkins of Trinidad & Tobago's equalled her World leading Junior mark of 6.56m in taking the girls' Under-20 Long Jump to add to her High Jump (1.83m) title on Saturday (15).

Barbados' World Youth silver medallist, Barbados' Ryan Brathwaite led the record breakers with an impressive run in the boys' Under-20 110 metres Hurdles. Brathwaite's run of 13.69 bettered the 20-year-old mark of 14.03 set by Alexis Sanchez of Cuba.

Other five winning athletes who broke records were, Alexandra Gonzalez of Puerto Rico who leapt 4.05m to erase the 3.35m old mark in the Girls' Under 20 Pole Vault; Schillonie Calvert ran 23.20 to beat former teammate Simone Facey's 23.23 four-year-old record; Jamaica's Shariff Small threw 52.79m to beat the old Discus mark of 52.36m; Mexican Diego Borrego Moreira ran 14:21.58 to erased the previous 5000m mark of 14:23.66; David Diaz of Puerto Rico won the Goy's U-17 Pole Vault with a 4.50m clearance.

Nero takes a triple!

Trinidad & Tobago's Gavyn Nero was the individual star of the Championships after taking three titles. He won two titles on Sunday's final day, the Under-17 3000m in 9: 00.21 and the 800m in 1:56.57, this along with his 1500m (4:02.95) on Friday's opening day.

"People were saying 'he did that once and he couldn't do it again', so I really wanted to prove them wrong," said Nero after his three gold medal while referring to the fact that he won the same three titles at Carifta 2006.

Double winners too

Meanwhile, Jamaicans Yohan Blake, Schillonie Calvert, Jodian Richards, Carrie Russell, Ramone Mckenzie and Natoya Goule, along with Trinidad & Tobago's pair of Annie Alexander and Rhonda Watkins completed double victories.

On Sunday's final day, Blake (21.02) and Calvert (23.20) won the Under-20 200m to add to their 100m titles.

Russell captured the 200m Under-17 title in 23.75 to add to her 100m (11.79) while McKenzie won yesterday's 200m in 21.17 and Saturday's 400m (47.59).

Richards won the 800m in 2:12.23 ahead of teammate Vanessa Boyd (2:14.09) to add to her 1500m (4: 33.77), while Goule won the Under-17 800m in 2:09.15, adding to her 1200m victory, which came in 3:33.74.

Richards had mixed feelings after the race. "I feel good, but disappointed in the 800m time, because I did not run my best. I wanted to run 2:06 to carry me to the World Juniors (in Beijing). It's not my best, so I disappointed with myself, but I thank God because I won two gold medals," she added.

Relay sweep for Jamaica

Jamaica completed the relay sweep, winning all eight events, 4x400m and 4x100m.

In the Under-20 section, the girls team of Andrea Reid, 400m hurdles champion Sherene Pinnock, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins and Sonita Sutherland, who captured the 400m title on Saturday, carried Jamaica to victory in 3: 36.02 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (3:42.31), while the boys' quarter of Tarik Edwards, Allodin Fothergill, Gawain Gray and Edino Steele clocked 3:06.99 to beat Trinidad & Tobago (3:07.51).

In the Under-17 events, Jamaica's team of Sanchia Lee, 400m champion Latoya McDermott, Rosemarie Carty and 800m and 1200m double winner Natoya Goule took victory in 3: 45.31 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (3:47.28), while the boys' quartet of Dwight Robinson, Donahue Williams, Akino Ming and 200m and 400m champion Ramone McKenzie stopped the clock in 3:17.05 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (3:19.47).