Cameron stars at Kirkvine meet

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

The sprints were the toast of the 2011 JAAA/Puma Development meet at Kirkvine at the weekend, with Edwin Allen High's CARIFTA 200 metres silver medallist, Saqukine Cameron, giving fans a fantastic preview of her talent.

The Kirkvine track was extremely fast for sprinting, as up to the completion of the 200m, eight records had been established on a turf where the soil lay firm and dry, and the top well manicured to make it easy on the heels. However, after four hours of competition, intermittent rain, then a heavy downpour, put an end to the meet after the running of the 11th heat of the girls' Class Three 400m.

Cameron beat the Class Three record of 24.30 seconds, set by Sandrae Farquharson of Manchester High set in 2009, by almost a full second. Running in the final of 22 heats in this category, Cameron, age 14, ran 23.40, defeating by a city block the efforts of second-place Georgiana Gordon of St Jago (25.1) and Shanice Lewis of Edwin Allen (25.3). Her class is even more highlighted against the second-best time overall on the day, achieved by Tiffany James of Papine High, who won heat one in a time of 24.5 secs.

Cameron's time, interestingly, bettered that of another record achieved on the day in the higher Class Two, where Vere's Sherika Jackson ran 23.80 to end Judith Riley's (Manchester High) 2005 mark of 24.30. The time also destroyed Sonita Sutherland's Class One meet record of 23.80 set in 2005.

The records in the 200m had began from the Class Four runs, where 12-year-old Satanya Wright of St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) stopped the clock at 24.80 in heat one to marginally eclipse Petagaye Williams' 24.90 from 2009. Wright's teammate, Junelle Bromfield, had the second best mark, winning heat four in 25.1.

In complete contrast, the Class One entrants laboured at the tape with only Stacika Bright of William Knibb Memorial in the sub-24 seconds bracket, with a run of 23.9.