Jamaica closes NACAC Championships with 48 medals after golden final-day surge
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica wrapped up an impressive campaign at the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Track and Field Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with a powerful final-day performance that lifted the team to an overall tally of 48 medals and a second-place finish on the championships medal table.
- The Jamaicans collected 12 medals on Sunday’s closing day, comprising four gold, five silver, and three bronze, to conclude the competition with 23 gold, 15 silver, and 10 bronze medals.
- Only host nation Mexico finished ahead of Jamaica after producing an outstanding final-day push of its own.
- Mexico captured 63 medals overall, including 24 gold, 17 silver, and 22 bronze, narrowly edging Jamaica in the race for the championship crown.
- Reynolds ignites Jamaica's charge The final day's momentum began with a commanding display from Alikay Reynolds in the Girls' Under-18 800 meters.
Jamaica wrapped up an impressive campaign at the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Track and Field Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with a powerful final-day performance that lifted the team to an overall tally of 48 medals and a second-place finish on the championships medal table.
The Jamaicans collected 12 medals on Sunday’s closing day, comprising four gold, five silver, and three bronze, to conclude the competition with 23 gold, 15 silver, and 10 bronze medals.
Only host nation Mexico finished ahead of Jamaica after producing an outstanding final-day push of its own. Mexico captured 63 medals overall, including 24 gold, 17 silver, and 22 bronze, narrowly edging Jamaica in the race for the championship crown.
Reynolds ignites Jamaica's charge
The final day's momentum began with a commanding display from Alikay Reynolds in the Girls' Under-18 800 meters.
Reynolds controlled the race before crossing the finish line in 2:09.67 minutes to secure Jamaica's first gold medal of the day. Trinidad and Tobago's Nyler Kerr earned silver in 2:10.68 minutes, while Mexico's Cintia Nayeli Gomez claimed bronze with 2:11.45 minutes.
One of the day's most anticipated races featured an all-Jamaican battle in the Women's Under-23 200 meters.
After settling for silver behind teammate Lavanya Williams in the 100 meters earlier in the championships, national senior 200-meter champion Alana Reid reversed those positions in emphatic fashion.
Benefiting from a strong 3.0 meters-per-second tailwind, Reid surged to victory in 22.29 seconds, holding off Williams, who finished second in 22.40 after narrowly missing out on a sprint double. Barbados' Kelia Bentham completed the podium with a bronze-medal effort of 23.00 seconds.
Jamaican relay teams finish in style
Jamaica's dominance continued in the relay events, where both Under-18 4x400-meter teams delivered gold-medal performances.
The Girls' Under-18 quartet controlled its race from start to finish, winning in 3:37.04 minutes ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (3:44.72) and Mexico (3:45.15).
The Boys' Under-18 team followed with another commanding victory, stopping the clock at 3:08.79 minutes to comfortably defeat Trinidad and Tobago (3:13.35), while Mexico secured bronze in 3:31.65.
Jamaica did not enter teams in either Under-23 4x400-meter relay.
Five silver mMedals bolster Jamaica's tTotal
Several athletes came within touching distance of gold as Jamaica added five silver medals to its growing collection.
Leanna Lewis produced a determined effort in the Women's Under-23 800 meters, finishing second in 2:08.86 minutes behind Bermuda's Layla Hayles, who captured gold in 2:07.86 minutes. Mexico's Georgina Caridad Sosa earned bronze in 2:09.38 minutes.
Talshawn Edwards secured silver in the Boys' Under-18 long jump with a best leap of 7.03 meters.
Despiro Wray also claimed second place after recording 17.83 meters in the Men's Under-23 shot put.
Jamaica's Under-18 mixed 4x100-meter relay team added another runner-up finish, clocking 43.39 seconds. The Bahamas won gold in 43.00 seconds, while Guatemala took bronze in 44.25 minutes.
Three more athletes reach the podium
The medal haul was completed with three bronze-medal performances.
Stefvanco Henry cleared 1.60 meters to finish third in the Girls' Under-18 high jump.
Tray Watson raced to bronze in the Boys' Under-18 200 meters, clocking 20.96 seconds with the assistance of a 5.2 meters-per-second tailwind.
Jade Ann Dawkins rounded out Jamaica's medal winners by taking bronze in the Women's Under-23 triple jump with a leap of 13.04 meters.
By the time the championships concluded, Jamaica had once again demonstrated its remarkable depth across the sprints, middle-distance events, jumps, throws, and relays.
The team's closing-day gold rush ensured a final medal count of 48, reinforcing Jamaica's standing as one of the region's premier track and field powers, while host nation Mexico's exceptional home performance proved just enough to secure the overall championship title.
