FOUR JUNIOR ATHLETES, all in the Under-20 division, have made the qualifying standards for this year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Athletics Championships in Mexico City from July 12 to 14.
CARIFTA Games long jump gold medallist Akela Jones leaped 6.26 metres earlier this season at Oklahoma Baptist University, surpassing the standard of 6.20. She also qualified in the high jump with her silver medal clearance of 1.80m at the CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas.
Both are also qualifying standards for the Pan American Junior Championships, which are slated to be held in Lima, Peru, from August 2 to 4.
CARIFTA 800 metres silver medallist Sonia Gaskin has also surpassed both the CAC and Pan Am standards with a personal best time of 2 minutes 06.86 seconds, just under the CAC mark of 2:07 flat and more than two full seconds under the Pan Am standard of 2:09.
Gaskin must be thinking of making a run at Sheena Gooding’s junior national record of 2:06.63, set almost 14 years ago in July 2000.
Another CARIFTA silver medallist, Kion Joseph, must also have the junior national record of 51.41 seconds on his mind after clocking 51.46 in the 400m hurdles, dipping under the CAC standard of 51.50 at the Falcon Games earlier this season.
Joseph won his silver medal in 51.94, well under the Pan Am mark of 53 seconds.
The final qualifier is double relay silver medallist Ariel Jackson, who had a personal best 23.68 seconds in the 200 metres at CARIFTA, going under the CAC time of 23.70 and the Pan Am time of 23.80.
Overall, 11 athletes have met the CAC standard, including hurdlers Kierre Beckles, Sade-Mariah Greenidge, Richelle Farley and Shane Brathwaite; quarter-milers Althia Maximilien and Sade Sealy and 800m specialist Anthonio Mascoll.
In addition to the four juniors above, sprinters Shavonne Husbands and Levi Cadogan, thrower Tristan Whitehall and intermediate hurdler Tramaine Maloney have also qualified for Pan Am Juniors.
Maloney, who was not released by his school Texas Tech to compete at the CARIFTA Games in the 400m hurdles, has a season’s best 52.30.
Cadogan’s time of 21.21 seconds in the 200 metres put him under the standard of 21.30, while Husbands’ personal best time of 23.79 was just under the required 23.80 seconds.
Whitehall surpassed the shot put mark (16.80) when he threw the pending junior national record of 17.02 metres at the CARIFTA Games and his 53.22m in the discus, done earlier this season, makes him a double qualifier like Jones.
Three athletes have qualified for the IAAF World Youth Championships, which will be held from July 10 to 14 in Dontesk, Ukraine.
Tristan Evelyn, Rivaldo Leacock and Mario Burke all hit the mark, but unfortunately, Burke is the only eligible competitor, based on age, with his time of 10.55 seconds in the 100 metres.
Evelyn, with 11.80 seconds in the 100m, and Leacock, with 52.94 seconds in the 400m, are both too young for the Under-18 meet.
