National Jr. Championships Ends With Fast Times And Long Throws

MARCH 11—Several personal bests and double winners concluded the third session of the BVI Athletics Association National Jr. Championships on Saturday evening, which also served as the Carifta Games Trials.

The 2-day-3 session format was used for the first time. The final session attracted three former BVI Athletics Association presidents as well. Founding member and the longest serving president Rey O’Neal (1970-73 & ‘78-2003); John Lewis, (‘73-74) and Johnny Hassan (‘74-76) witnessed the action.

Top Notch Track Club’s Nelda Huggins—who won her third straight 100m crown on Friday night in 11.90 seconds—capped off an U17 Girls sprint double, taking the 200m in a wind assisted 24.37 seconds. Sprint Tech Track Club’s Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses was second in 24.81 in the race that had a +2.5 mps wind with teammate L’Tisha “Lea” Fahie getting to the line in 25.14.

Fast Lane Track Club’s Kyron McMaster ran 49.87 seconds to cap off his U17 Boys double, after running 22.67 to take the 200m, shaving .01 off his best. Raw Skillz’s Timron Telemague and Casim Clarke were second and third in the 200m in 25.19 and 25.30 respectively.

Top Notch’s Ronique finished behind McMaster in the 400m in 52.73, with Fast Lane’s Kendrick Matthew getting to the line in 56.12.

Fast Lane’s Shaquoy Stephens completed the track doubles with his U20 Boys 49.88 victory to close the competition, ahead of Top Notch’s Royce David in 50.15 and his teammate Kenton Todman’s 53.69.

Stephens cut the 200m tape at 21.97 seconds with David almost a second back in 22.78. David’s teammate Ebenezer Joseph placed third in 23.14.

On the field, a trio of Top Notch athletes secured doubles, two with career best efforts. Tynelle Gumbs got the U20 Girls Discus out to a career best, 37.27m, (122’3½”) after hurling the Javelin 35.60m (116’9½”).

Kala Penn bounded out to 11.40m (37’4¾”) in the Triple Jump with a 0.0 wind, following up on last week’s 11.45 effort which had no wind reading. Newcomer to the event, Fast Lane’s Shanakay Wheatley, settled for 10.65m (34’11¼”).

After fouling Shot Put heaves over the 17m mark, Eldred Henry settled for 16.74m (54’11”), before capping off the evening with a Discus Throw of 50.60m (166’0”).

Following her third place finish in the U20 Girls 100m, Sprint Tech Track Club’s Jonel Lacey moved to No. 9 on the 200m All Time List, with her 24.68 winner, after a windy 25.02 in the prelims. She pulled teammate Taylor Hill to 24.98. 100m winner Shaian Vandenburg of Top Notch, was third in 25.18—a personal best.

Brandon Andrew—the lone entrant in the U20 Boys 110m Hurdles in 15.29, had a wind aided leap of 6.72m (22’0½”) to claim the Long Jump crown.

Those who have made the cut for the March 30-Aptil 1 Carifta Games will be presented at a press conference.

The Carifta Games began in Barbados in 1972 and the BVI’s first participation was in 1976 in the Bahamas and won its first medal in 1978 also in the Bahamas. BVI athletes have won 25 medals in the premier regional U17 and U20 Championships—with a record five medals last year, when the competition was held in Bermuda.