Some enthusiastic primary school children were the highlight of the World Athletics Day meet as the traditional drop in competitors following the CARIFTA Games was very much in evidence at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Many of the primary athletes had not competed since the Pinehill NAPSAC Championships and several others had quit or been forced to stop extra-curricular activities long before that as they prepared for the Common Entrance Examination.
But with that out of the way, the athletes were back in action, even if the rust was evident.
With the spectators also staying away, two noisy groups of parents – for Jumpstart and Cuthbert Moore Primary – gave the children much-needed support.
Matthew Clarke of Jumpstart won the Under-12 Boys’ 100 metres in 13.65 seconds, with teammates Raheem Taitt-Best (13.96) and Rashawn Bayley (14.31), second and third, respectively.
Cuthbert Moore’s Sheridan Straughn (13.51) and Tashara Boyce (13.84) were first and second in the girls’ race.
Many athletes faced the starter in the 100m. In the Under-10 division, Rishaunna Padmore of Jumpstart was the winner in 15.31 seconds from Senica Clarke (15.73).
Jumpstart’s Akil Howell (14.85) and Darian Clarke (14.90) were the top finishers in the boys’ race.
Jumpstart’s Josiah Atkins clocked 12.91 seconds to win the Under-14 Boys’ 100m from Rising Stars Fabian Leon (13.62) and Shakeem Fenty (13.75) of Elite Distance.
Padmore also won the 80m dash in 13.57 seconds and Jaquan Bovell the boys’ race in 12.15.
The race of the day saw Tianna Bowen of Rising Stars, the only girl in the Under-14 race, slamming a field of boys in the 300 metres. Bowen crossed the line in 42.46 seconds, the boys several metres behind.
To add insult to injury, she walked away while several of them were left in discomfort at the finish line.
Earlier, Bowen won the 100m in 13.71 seconds.
Rivaldo Leacock of Rising Stars was in the other heat and he was a comfortable winner in 39.61 seconds, Josiah Atkins of Jumpstart second in 44.18.
Rosette Hoyte (45.60) of Rising Stars won the 300m from Jumpstart’s Cheyanne Cummins (48.38), while Cuthbert Moore’s Antonio Farrell (45.14) beat Taitt-Best (47.02) and Matthew Clarke (48.78) to the line in the Under-12 Boys’ 300m.
Westbury’s Senica Clarke (52.75) and Shaquille Gittens (53.68), who also won the Under-10 Boys’ long jump with a leap of 3.59m, were the other winners of the 300m.
In the other field events, Jumpstart’s Misha Nelson won the Under-10 Girls’ high jump at 1.20m and Darian Clarke the Boys’ Under-12 long jump at 3.54m.
Few members of the CARIFTA team were on show.
Among them, Nikolai Gall of Foundation Track and Field Academy won the Under-18 Boys’ 400m in 50.08 seconds from 400m hurdles bronze medallist Tramaine Maloney (51.95) of Rising Stars and Foundation’s Darren Taylor (54.41).
Tamal Atwell of Blitz won the Under-16 race in 56.11 seconds, while Tiffany Browne took the girls’ one-lapper in 1:12. 64.
Rising Stars’ Jerrad Mason, the 800m gold medallist, stepped down to 200m and was the winner in 22.63 seconds from Blitz’s Akeem McCollin (23.24) and Pacers’ Kion Joseph (23.59).
Foundation’s Shaquille Alleyne led the field home in 22.38, but he is an Under-20 competitor.
Tristan Evelyn of Rising Stars won the Under-18 Girls’ 100m in a record 12.84 seconds, with Foundation’s Radijah Babb second in 13.35, both lowering the time from 13.49 set by Alisha Harris.
Discus bronze medallist Romario Antoine also competed in the shot put and discus, but official results were not available in those events.
