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Jamaica continues to dominate – CAC Juniors, Day 2
16 Jul 2006 - Anthony Foster
Source: IAAF (View article)

Port-of-Spain TRI - Jamaica maintained their dominance after two days at the XVII Central America and Caribbean Junior Track & Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford stadium.

Like the Friday's opening day in the sprints, Jamaica swept the sprint relays and won three of four 400m titles to stretch their lead atop the medal standing with 21 gold, eight silver a and eight bronze medals.

Mexico with seven gold, nine silver and five bronze; Barbados (7G, 2S, 5B); Trinidad & Tobago (5G, 10S, 9B); Puerto Rico (5G, 7S, 6B), Bahamas (3G, 7S, 3B); Bermuda (2G, 2S, 1B); Guatemala (2G), Dominica (1G, 1S, 1B) and British Virgin Islands (2S, 1B) rounded off the top 10 teams.

All four Relays go to Jamaica

Led by Under-20 100m boys' champion Yohan Blake and girls' champion Schillonie Calvert, along with Under-17 winners Nickel Ashmeade and Carrie Russell, Jamaica won all four relays.

Despite trailing Cayman Islands on the final leg, Blake, after few strides, regained the lead first leg runner Cawayne Jervis provided to carry Jamaica home in 40.49.

Oshane Bailey and Triston Taylor, who ran a very good third leg, made up Jamaica's team, which defeated Barbados (40.68) and Cayman Islands (40.79).

In the girls' Under-20 event, the quartet of Kittiany Clarke, the 100m hurdles champion, Anastasia Le-Roy, Naffene Briscoe and Calvert stopped the clock in 44.74 ahead of the Bahamas (45.71) and Trinidad & Tobago (45.71).

In the Under-17 division, Jamaica (40.83) won the boys' event ahead of Trinidad & Tobago ( 41.90) and Barbados (42.10) and secured the girls' event in 45.50 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (45.70) and Bahamas (46.31).

Apart from the boys' Under-20 400m title, which went to hometown boy Renny Quow in 46.14, the Jamaicans were aggressive on the track. He, however, did not have things easy as the fast finishing Jamaicans Allodin Fothergill (46.17 PB) and favourite Edino Steele (46.29) pushed him right up to the line.

"It was very difficult, but I just went out there and did my best and that's what carried me through the line," Quow, who now turns his attention to the CAC Games in Columbia.

He also expressed disappointment with the time. "I am not satisfied, but for now, I will stay with that …"

Championship 400m record for Sutherland

Meanwhile, Jamaica's Sonita Sutherland, the world's top junior at 51.13 (PR), broke the girls' Under-20 400m championship record on her way to victory in 51.57.

Sutherland, the 2004 World Junior silver medallist won ahead of teammate Bobbie-Gaye Wilkins (53.19) and Janeil Bellille of Trinidad & Tobago (56.15).

Sutherland who has the four fastest times (51.13, 51.23, 51.30, 51.37) as a junior this year, ran unchallenged from start to finish, but expressed disappointment the competition was stronger. "I wanted to go fastest," said Sutherland while hinting the 'below par' competition cost her that feat. I came here planning to run 50.9 (PR), but it just didn't work out that way," she added after breaking former teammate Sheryl Morgan's 52.81 four-year-old record.

In the boys' Under-17 division, Jamaica's Ramone McKenzie (47.59 ) defeated Kadeem Smith of St. Kitts & Nevis (48.70) and teammate Akino Ming (48.76) while Latoya McDermot, also of Jamaica, took the girls' event in 54.10 ahead of Monica Moncherry of St. Lucia (55.15).

McKenzie, who is likely to represent Jamaica at next year's World Junior Championships, was very happy with performance. "It was a PR (personal best). It was hectic, because for the start I was trembling in the blocks, but when I got out it just felt good…"

McDermot said her usual race plan was applied, "lead the pack before I get tired, easy at the 200m mark and pick it up back into the straight. "I came out here to win and that's what I did. I am quite happy with the time, because I thought I it was a little slower," she added.

University of South Carolina's sprint hurdler, Kittiany Clarke, gave Jamaica's it's first gold on day two when she won the Under-20 100m hurdles in 13.60 seconds. Clarke, who was representing Jamaica for the first time, won ahead of Barbados' Kimberly Stanford (14.08). Clarke expressed a little disappointment with her time. “I wanted to PR today, but I didn't … but as long I got the gold I'm ok," said Clarke.

Stanford's teammate, Kieree Beckles (13.72 ) won the Under-17 100m Hurdles ahead of Jamaica's pair of Shermaine Williams (13.79) and Rosemarie Carty ( 13.86).

Guatemala's Edwin Barrientos won the boys' Under-20 Pole Vault with a leap of 4.10m to beat Puerto Rican Yeisei Cintron (4.00m) and Lorenzo Johnson of Jamaica (4.00m), all three bettered the previous championship record of 3.95m.

Mexico picked up one-two in the boys' Under-20 Steeplechase with Aroon Her Arias Navarro (9:05.99) and Omar Alej Chavez Cortes (9:23.43).

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