Anguilla's Zarnel Hughes, left, snatches bronze the the 2012 Carifta Games in Bermuda
JUNE 6—Anguilla’s IAAF World Jr. Championships qualifier Zarnel Hughes, the Carifta Games U20 Boys 100m bronze medalist, will be leading the field lighting up the track in the event during Saturday and Sunday’s Leeward Islands Jr. Championships at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.
Hughes will be challenged by Antigua’s Tahir Walsh and Cejhae Green, who followed him in fourth and fifth at the Carifta Games, as they renew their rivalries ahead of the CAC Jr. Championships in El Salvador later this month.
Hughes, who narrowly missed a Carifta 200m bronze with his season’s best of 21.26, will meet Walsh and Green who were also finalist in the event.
All will be trying to improve their qualifying marks for the July 10-15, IAAF World Jr. Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Nelda Huggins, a Carifta U17 Girls 100m silver medalist will be leading the BVI’s charge in the sprints. Guadeloupe’s Sareena Carti who won U17 Girls 400m bronze in this and last year’s Carifta Games and comes in with a 55.62 season’s best and will face Lakisha “Mimi” Warner, while Carti’s teammate Cheryl Farial, who ran 2 minutes 14.49 on Saturday, will hook up with Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses in a hot 800m run.
Twin sisters Tynelle and Trevia Gumbs—Carifta gold and silver medalists—will highlight the BVI’s field event contingent in the Javelin Throw and Shot Put events.
Saturday’s 4x100m Relay and Sunday’s 4x400m Relay will both be exciting. While the 4x100s will be run as U17 and U20, the 4x4s will be and open event with each country pitting their best against each other.
Just over 100 athletes are expected to compete, with representation coming from Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Trinidad & Tobago, the U.S. Virgin Islands and hosts BVI.
The competition will be run in four sessions over two days. Starting with prelims at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and finals at 3 p.m. both days. Admission to the morning sessions is $3 while afternoon sessions will cost $5.