Juniors exhibit impressive performances as Carifta Trials end

The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA)/PUMA Carifta Trials ended at the National Stadium on Sunday with a number of impressive performances by the island’s junior athletes.

Leading the way in the field was reigning World Athletics Under-20 Championships triple jump silver medalist Jaydon Hibbert who set for himself two more personal bests.

The Kingston College athlete landed at 16.40m (1.5m mps) on his first attempt and then 16.56m (0.6 mps) on his second to claim victory from Royan Walters of Petersfield High with 15.22m. Third place went to Rajaun Ricketts of Jamaica College with 15.03.

Jo-Anna Pinnock of St Andrew High won the girls’ equivalent with 12.30m (1.7 mps), ahead of Tawani Murray of Petersfield High with 11.98m, and St Jago’s Kay-Lagay Clarke with 11.94m.

The Carifta Under-17 version saw Sabrina Atkinson of Hydel winning with 11.83m ahead of Excelsior High’s Rhianna Lugg with 11.69m, and on the boys’ side, Jamaica College’s Chavez Penn won with 14.02m ahead of schoolmate Euan Young with 13.74m, and Cornwall College’s Kesean-Jordan Rhooms with 13.29m.

Christopher Young of Edwin Allen, who captured the discus throw on Saturday, was unmatched in the Under-20 javelin with a best distance of 61.99m, having gone beyond the 60m mark on no less than four occasions.

Jamaica College’s Jemar Ferguson was second with 55.55m and Young’s teammate Daniel Peterson was third with 47.19m.

For the girls’ Under-20 javelin, Annakay Lindsay of G.C. Foster College won with 36.03m, ahead of Patreece Clarke of Edwin Allen with 35.72m and Chrishale McCarthy of St Jago with 34.99m.

In the Under-17 girls’ version, Shenell Cole of Spot Valley High won with 31.85m. Holmwood Technical’s Regena Case was second with 27.95m and Hydel High’s Natassia Burrell third with 26.20m.

- Advertisement -

The boys’ section saw William Knibb’s Wensett Brown winning with 33.21m ahead of St Elizabeth Technical’s Raejhaun Riley with 32.70m.

The action was similarly impressive on the track in a number of events. In the girls’ Under-17 400m hurdles final, Spot Valley High’s Deandra Harris obliterated the field to win in 1:01.78 minutes, well ahead of the 1:05.22 minutes set by Edwin Allen’s Kelly Ann Carr for second, and the 1:05.30 minutes done by St Jago’s Olivia St John for third place.

The Under-20 version was won by St Jago’s Safhia Hinds in 58.06 seconds, ahead of Hydel High’s Oneika McAnnuff in 59.35 seconds and St Elizabeth Technical’s Shackelia Green in 59.77 seconds.

Kingston College finished first and third in the Under-20 400m hurdles finals with Rayon Campbell winning in 49.52 seconds and Antonio Forbes claiming bronze in 50.48 seconds. Camperdown High’s Roshawn Clarke took the silver medal in 49.85 seconds.

Kingston College’s dominance continued in the Under-17 section as Jordan Mowatt won in 52.53 seconds ahead of Jamaica College’s Princewell Martin in 53.01 seconds, and Excelsior High’s Daniel Wright in 54.77 seconds.

Hydel High’s Bryanna Lyston was the standout in the girls’ Under-20 200m final, stopping the clock at 22.66 seconds, well clear of teammate Alana Reid in 23.29 seconds and Mount Alvernia’s Carleta Bernard in 23.65 seconds.

On the boys’ side, Edwin Allen’s Bryan Levell, who lost out in the 100m final on Saturday, made amends when he won in 20.53 seconds ahead of St Catherine’s Sandrey Davison with 20.90 seconds, the same time accredited to Kingston College’s Adrian Kerr in third place.

The girls’ Under-17 event was won by Lacovia High’s Sabrina Dockery with 24.03 seconds, while the boys’ category was won by Spot Valley High’s Romario Hines with 21.82 seconds.

Jamaica College’s J’Voughnn Blake was peerless as he strode to 1:47.62 minutes to land the Under-20 800m finals. He won ahead of St Elizabeth Technical’s Adrian Nethersole with 1:50.15 minutes, and St Jago’s Tafar-Hi Hinds with 1:50.22 minutes.

Edwin Allen’s Rushana Dwyer won the girls’ equivalent in 2:09.31 minutes ahead of Holmwood Technical’s Samantha Pryce with 2:10.02 minutes, and Kishay Rowe with 2:10.42 minutes.

The girls’ Under-17 event was won by Holmwood Technical’s Andrene Peart in 2:13.55 minutes, with the boys’ version going to Port Antonio’s Ainsley Brown in 1:57.76 minutes.

The boys’ Under-20 110m hurdles final saw St Jago claiming the top two places.

Jahvel Granville won in 13.65 seconds (0.5 mps) and Demario Price was second in 13.77 seconds, as St Elizabeth Technical’s Shamar Blake was third in 13.91 seconds.

The Carifta Under-17 section resulted in Kingston College claiming first and third through Jadan Campbell (13.57 seconds) and Daniel Clarke (13.94 seconds).

Calabar High’s Shaquane Gordon was second in 13.68 seconds.

In the girls’ Under-20 100m hurdles final, Petersfield High’s Alexis James upstaged the Hydel High pair of Oneka Wilson and Kerrica Hill. James won in 13.16 seconds, with Wilson and Hill clocking 13.22 and 13.25 seconds, respectively.

In the lower division, St Jago claimed first and third through Bryana Davidson (13.52 seconds) and Briana Campbell (13.74 seconds), while Hydel High’s Jody-Ann Daley took second with 13.62 seconds.

The Jamaicans are seeking to defend their title at the 49^th Carifta Games having topped the medal table at the three-day championships for the last 34 years. The event is slated for Kingston’s National Stadium on the Easter weekend, April 16-18.