Notice has been served!
The Barbados record in the men’s high jump is under serious threat, and Jerrad Mason will not be surrendering his title in the Under-17 Boys’ 800 metres at the CARIFTA Games without a fight.
On Sunday evening during the Louis Lynch Championships at the National Stadium, Pacers’ Thorrold Murray made an attempt at tying Henderson Dottin’s 2.23 metres record which has stood since 2003.
Murray had a personal best clearance of 2.20 metres, but came up short in the record attempt. However, he qualified for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Athletic Championships and the Pan Am Games.
Mason’s run in the men’s 800 metres can only be described as deceptive. There was nothing to indicate he was going as fast as he was until the official time came back in 1 minute, 53.02 seconds.
The Rising Stars athlete led the race from pole to pole, pulling away from Ibrahim Hinds of Elite Distance over the last 90 metres to win gold.
The time is a CARIFTA “A” qualifier, adding to his 400 metres from the previous night. It was a new personal best and well within the CARIFTA record of 1:53.72 set in 2005 and the required standard of 1:53.50 for the World Youth Championships.
Hinds, who was second in 1:54.22, had an Under-20 “B” qualifying time. Anthonio Mascoll and Shaquille Alleyne didn’t compete, taking away most of the hype and excitement from the race. Cindy Forde of Freedom Striders also met the “B” standard
in the Under-17 Girls’ 800 metres, coming home unchallenged in 2:17.57.
In the Under-17 Boys’ event, John Haynes of Wibisco Stars was without equal, but he needed a push, his 1:58.06 was just off the mark.
There were five other “A” qualifiers and one “B” qualifier. In the field events, Akela Jones had a best jump of 5.81 metres in the Under-17 Girls’ long jump and Leah Bannister of Elite Distance’s 42.61m in the Under-20 Girls’ discus, both “A” qualifiers.
Tramaine Maloney of Rising Stars didn’t qualify in the sprint hurdles on Saturday, but he came back with a completely dominating run to win the first heat of the Under-20 Boys’ 400 metre hurdles timed finals.
Maloney pulled away from the field and was in full control over the last 100 metres in an “A” standard of 53.66 seconds, just shy of the Pan Am Juniors mark.
In the second heat, it was Pacers’ Kion Joseph who shocked the field, running out of Lane 1 with 54.44 seconds, and he too can qualify with a few more runs.
Dario Scantlebury of Rising Stars left no doubt over his status. He too hit the “A” standard in the Under-17 Boys’ 400 metre hurdles and seemed pleased with his time of 55.38 seconds “so early in the season”. Pacers’ Akeem David took second spot and met the “B” mark with a strong finish in 55.84 seconds.
He is the only newcomer to qualify to date and they congratulated each other after the results were announced.
The final “A” qualifier was Pacers’ Nicholas Deshong in the Under-20 Boys’ 200 metres. Deshong followed Freedom Striders’ Rico Ward out of the turn and only a hair separated them at the line. Deshong was timed at 21.36 seconds, Ward in 21.37, but he is too old for the CARIFTA Games.
Pacers’ Joshua Walcott was also short of qualifying in the Under-17 Boys’ 200 metres, but did the treble with the 100 and 400 from Saturday. Walcott is clearly injury free, and his time of 22.04 seconds was four-hundredths of a second too slow.
