Barbados’ strongest schoolboy Triston Gibbons has shattered his national junior shot put record again.
The powerfully built southpaw putted the shot a record 19.69 metres to highlight the action at the 22nd annual Austin Sealy Classic at the National Stadium on Saturday.
“I am just grateful to finally get this performance out and now going into World Juniors, I just want to keep building and attack the world stage seriously,” the 19-year-old Gibbons said.
Gibbons, who hails from Bathsheba, St Joseph, erased his previous best mark of 18.87 metres he set at this year’s National Junior Championships.
“I felt fresh so I just decided to get a legal mark first and keep building. I wasn’t thinking numbers, just going harder and harder and I achieved the record on my final throw,” he added.
His Harrison College and former Coleridge & Parry schoolmate Jonathan Jones easily dismissed the challenge from the experienced Joshua Walcott (48.38) to win the men’s 400 in 47.06 seconds.
Jaria Hoyte took the women’s race in 57.04 seconds from Under-17 girl Asia Foster, who clocked a season’s best 57.53.
Kenneah Romney of St Kitts’ Out Of Limits club easily captured the Under-17 Girls’ 400 in 60.43 seconds.
The improving Miguel Nicholas defeated the Under-17 boys in 50.42 after earlier competing in a merged 1500. He won his age group in 4:29.51 minutes after finishing behind showboater Dario Grandison, who claimed the men’s section in 4:29.01.
Eden Lodge’s ten-year-old Class 3 student Ashlyn Simmons conquered the Under-13 Girls’ 400 in 1:03.16 minutes. Her time was faster than Under-13 Boys’ winner Adriano Edwards’ 1:04.84.
John Clarke (3:36.90) ran away from Kittitian Deshawn Douglas (3.44.21) in the last 150 metres to take the Under-15 Boys’ 1200. Maliah Edwards comfortably won the Girls’ race in 4:45.17 minutes while Christian Shurland (5:43.64) won the Under-17 Girls’ 1500.
A fast-finishing Hannah Connell looked beaten after 90 metres but dug deep to pip Shemia Odaine (12.26) on the line and win the women’s 100 in 12.22 seconds. Quarter-miler Rhea Hoyte (12.29) was third just ahead of Ashlee Lowe (12.32). Connell also clinched the women’s 100 hurdles in 14.43 seconds while Anika Blackman (14.48) took the Under-17 category.
Kuron Griffith (10.87) clinched the men’s 100 from Rhys Phillips (11.05), who clocked 13.39 seconds to beat Kion Joseph (14.85) in the men’s 110-metre hurdles.
Mikhail Carvalho (11.09) outsprinted Jean-Pierre Hinds (11.32) in the Under-17 Boys’ 100 while Jadon Pearce was a double winner. He won the Under-15 Boys’ 80-metre hurdles and 100 with times of 11.56 and 12.14 seconds.
Dania Haynes (12.90) triumphed in the Under-15 Girls’ 100 while Samiya Dell took the 75-metre hurdles in 12.96 seconds.
CARIFTA Games gold medallist Shanice Hutson tossed the discus 39.11 metres to win the women’s event from the experienced Akelia Flemming (38.36). Rowland Kirton-Browne topped the Under-17s with a heave of 34.51 metres.
Tiara Stewart and Caleb Massiah prevailed in the Under-15 girls’ and boys’ long jump with 5.30 and 5.84 metres respectively. Alex Duguid-Green took the Under-17 Boys’ shot put with 13.65 metres. (EZS)
