A NUMBER of encouraging individual performances at Saturday’s CARIFTA versus The Rest & Relay Trials at the National Stadium have enhanced Barbados’ medal hopes in the shot put events at this weekend’s CARIFTA Games in Martinique.
Under-20 shot-putters Dequan Lovell (16.67 metres) and Romario Antoine (16.24m) impressed when they tossed the heavy iron ball over 16 metres while Under-18 competitor Triston Gibbons also put the lighter shot 15.25 metres.
Ashley Williams, who will be competing in the Under-20 division at CARIFTA, also threw a fairly satisfying 13.19 metres in the women’s shot put.
Under-18 javelin thrower Hayley Matthews, who won a silver medal last year, made a try at the shot put and threw a distance of 11.54 metres.
Jumper Shamar Rock, who will be having his final year in the Under-20 division, enjoyed one of his best performances of the year, with a leap of 7.44 metres in the long jump.
Under-18 competitor Josiah Beckles showed some improving with a best leap of 6.72 metres, but he only managed 1.90 metres in the high jump as he and Hakeem Clarke (1.95) fell short in their bid to clear over 2.00 metres.
Both high jumper Ashantia Phillips (1.60m) and long jumper Shonita Brome (5.27m) were disappointing.
On the track, Sada Williams was a double winner, clocking 12.07 seconds in the open women 100 metres and returning to win the 400 metres in 56.75 seconds.
CARIFTA Under-18 selectee Asha Cave had a disappointing run in the 100 metres, clocking 13.12 seconds to be seventh overall.
CARIFTA selectees Tiana Bowen (58.20) and Jaria Hoyte (59.27) were third and fourth respectively in the 400 metres, which was won by Williams with UWI’s Blackbirds’ Sharon Larrier (57.29) second.
Under-20 middle distance runner, Tre Hinds clocked 49.92 in winning the men’s 400 metres while Raheem Skinner (4:05.85 minutes) defeated CARIFTA selectee Joshua Hunte (4:09.57 minutes) in the open men’s 1500 metres.
Twin brothers Akeem Marshall (4:10.70) and Romario Marshall (4:12.28), who will be competing in the Under-18 division, were fourth and fifth with CARIFTA Under-20 distance runner, Dario Grandison (4:16.22) sixth.
Under-18 CARIFTA sprint hurdlers, Michael Nicholls (14.01 seconds) and Juwan Augustin-Mayers (14.39) were also in action in the 110-metre event.
Multi-eventer Danielle Scantlebury, who has qualified for the girls’ Open Heptathlon, finished second with a time of 14.93 seconds to former CARIFTA medallist, Kenrisha Brathwaite (14.14) in the women’s 100-metre hurdles.
Scantlebury is expected to also run in the Under-18 girls’ 100-metre hurdles at CARIFTA.
Akeim David, who will contest the open boys’ octathlon at CARIFTA, took part in the high jump and cleared the bar at 1.65 metres but only managed 9.31 metres in the shot put.
With at least six options for the Under-18 boys’ 4×100-metre relay, head coach Bryan Holder gave a hint at what could be his possible quartet when he used Nicholls to start, followed by Mario Burke on the back straight with Jebarri Cumberbatch on the third leg and Kentoine Browne, who did not finish the 200 metres, on anchor leg.
