The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TARHJ Hudson and Camitra Mackey both surpassed the qualifying standards for the postponed CARIFTA Games - again - at the Roadrunners 15th annual Dianna Lynn Thompson Classic on Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Hudson, already qualified in a previous meet this year, tossed the under-20 boys’ discus 172-feet, 4-inches (52.52m) to again surpass the standard of 52.13m.

His Blue Chips Athletics’ team-mate Keyshawn Strachan got second with 131-07 (40.10m). Strachan, who has already qualified in the javelin, won that event with a toss of 196-03 (59.83m). Nathaniel Zervos, also from the Blue Chips, was second with 166-11 (50.87m).

Mackey, also from the Blue Chips Athletics Club, produced a CARIFTA qualifier in the under-20 girls’ javelin with her heave of 132-00 (40.24m). The standard is 38.39m, which she also attained in a previous meet.

While there were no qualifiers on the track, Wendall Miller of Power Athletics produced one of the most exciting performances in the under-20 boys 400m. The St John’s College 12th grader clocked 47.89, which was just shy of the CARIFTA standard of 47.34 and the World Youth mark of 47.35. In the under-20 girls’ division, Javonya Valcourt from Fast Forward ran 56.72, but it was shy of the CARIFTA qualifying time of 54.85. Larcathea Cooper of the Redline Athletics was second in 57.12.

After he opened the meet by taking the open men’s 5,000m in 17:46.39 over team-mate Nathan Duncan (18:04.56), Denzel Sawyer came back in the under-20 boys’ 1,500m where he went head-to-head with Christopher Santus of 4-D Stallions.

In a sprint to the finish, Sawyer out-kicked Santus to take the tape in 4:24.84. Santus did 4:25.40 as they both missed the Carifta qualifying time of 4:05.43.

“The race was a pretty good race. I knew coming into the bell lap, I had to push it because he was pushing me a lot,” said Sawyer, a 12th grader at CI Gibson Secondary High. “I felt pretty good about the performance.”

Sawyer, 16, said although they are in a pandemic, it feels the same competing, but he’s fully aware of the protocol restrictions that they have to deal with.

Santus, also 16, said it was a very hyped up race.

“I just gave up at the tape,” said the 11th grader at CI Gibson.

In contrasting style, the under-20 girls’ 1,500m was a run away for Llanzita Chea of Fast Forward, who breezed through without any competition in 5:22.26, well of her personal best of 5:17. Her nearest rival was Renae Verneus of the 4-D’s Stallions in 6:18.46.

“I felt good. When I started off, I decided to maintain my pace and then try to finish off strong,” said Chea, a 17-year-old student of Queen’s College. “My goal is to make Carifta and get a scholarship to go off to college.”

She will need to run at least 4:50 or better in order to qualify for Carifta.

Hurry Murray Athletics’ Breyanna Kemp clocked 2:29.71to take the under-17 girls’ 800m over Ezthia Maycock of the Redline Athletics, who did 2:36.56 .

But when she moved down to the 400m, Kemp won her heat in 1:00.70, but that only allowed her to finish third. She was beaten out by Nya Wright of Redline Athletics in 59.48 and Koi Adderley of Fast Forward in 59.65.

Adderley showed her versatility in winning the long jump with 5.43m 17-9 3/4 (5.43m) over Amari Pratt of the Star Trackers 16-7 1/ 4 (5.06m).

Clinton Laguerre of the Red Line Athletics was the winner of the under-17 boys’ one-lap race in the 400m in 50.33, while Raywind Winder of Hurry Murray Athletics took the two-lap 800m race in 2:05.16.

Elite sprinter Stephen ‘Dirty’ Newbold were among the top athletes competing. He won his heat in 22.38, but lost out to Anthony Adderley of Alliance Track Club in 21.96.

Ian Kerr, back after completing college, took the open men’s 400m in 48.92, while Teshon Adderley, also done with college, was the lone competitor in the open women’s 400m in 1:02.14.

Tamara Myers of Leap of Faith came through in the open women’s long jump with a leap of 17-9 (5.41) and her team-mate Kaiwan Culmer was the open men’s long jump champion with 51-7 (15.72m).

Abner Johnson of the Blue Chips Athletics doubles up in the open men’s shot put with 44-2 (13.42m) and the discus with 113-7 (34.63m) and team-mate Kaden Cartwright got the double feat in the under-17 boys’ discus with 123-3 (37.55m) and javelin with 164-11 (50.26m).

Latia Saunders of Blue Chips Athletics won the open women’s shot put with 32-4 1/4 (9.86m), while team-mate Calea Jackson doubled up in the under-17 girls’ shot put with 35-10 3/4 (10.94m) and discus with 120-2 (36.64m).

The young age group categories had a couple of double winners.

Among them were Sunblazers’ Carey Josey in the girls’ under-9 100m (17.80) and 400m (1:28.80) and Ethan Miller in the boys’ under-9 100m (16.15) and 400m (1:19.59); Red Line Athletics’ Eagan Neely in the boys’ under-13 100m (12.87) and 400m (1:01.46); Quick Step Athletics’ Andrew Brown in the under-15 boys’ 100m (11.80) and 400m (52.88).

Roadrunners Track Club president Dexter Bodie said they were delighted to have been able to stage the meet in the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We started off with the 5,000 metres, followed by the hurdles, then the 100m,” he said. “We may have a few athletes who have qualified for Carifta. But we had a great turnover.”

Bodie thanked the many sponsors, who assisted in making the event a success.

They included Family Medical Center, Dr Clyde Gaskins and Palmdale Optical, We Buy U Sell Group Company Limited, Summit Insurance, who helped to secure the medals and the most outstanding athletes’ trophies.

“The meet was very successful and we want to thank everybody who came out and supported it,” Bodie said. “In this Covid-19 environment, we abided by the restrictions and we want to sat thanks to the Competent Authority for allowing us to host the meet.”

Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations president Drumeco Archer, who was on hand to view the competition, said track is indeed back in the country.

“When we opened the season, that was our proclamation: Track was back,” Archer said. “We wanted to set the stage in track and field, not just in New Providence, but throughout the Bahamas.

“We have worked very closely with the Competent Authorities and we have been following the protocol restrictions to the letter, so this is surmountable. This is something that we can beat.”

Archer said the aim is to preserve the track and field season and with the help of their affiliated clubs, the BAAA are on course to achieving that goal as they ensure that they adhere to the Covid-19 restrictions.