Smikle, Gordon strike gold at Pan Am Juniors

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

MIRAMAR, Florida:Discus thrower Traves Smikle and 400 metres ace Chrisann Gordon both mined gold on the opening day of the three-day Pan American Junior Championships in Miramar, Florida, yesterday.

Jamaica, led by Smikle and Gordon, had a very good opening day, picking up five medals - two gold, two silver and a bronze.

One of the silver medals came in the hammer throw where Canada-born Daina Levy gave the country its first-ever medal in the event at the championships. Levy's best throw was 55.79m.

Smikle, the 2009 bronze medallist, got things going in the afternoon session with a record throw of 66.51 metres in the discus to erase the 2009 mark of 65.34m set by Finlay Mason of the United States. His teammate, Federick Dacres, pocketed bronze with 57.24m. American Gabriel Hull was the silver medallist with a throw of 57.78m.

"It is a good feeling because coming to this meet I had some technical problems, but after talking to my coach he told me to go out and do what I always do, and that really motivated me," said Smikle.

After her disappointment at World Youth Championships recently, Gordon finally delivered on a big occasion, winning the 400m in 52.62 seconds to upstage the American pair of Diamond Dixon and Phyllis Francis, who finished second and third in 53.10 and 53.61, respectively. Jamaica's other competitor, Nicolate Martin, was eighth in 58.82.

"I am happy to know that I came here and made up for my disappointment at World Youth, as I wanted to end the season on a high and I did that," gold medallist Gordon said.

Danielle Williams also produced a big performance, clocking a personal best of 13.32 seconds for silver in the 100m hurdles to split the Americans. Trinity Wilson of the United States clocked 13.17 for the win, with her teammate Brigitte Owens (13.l34) taking bronze. Jamaica's Tonique Sobah was fifth in 13.71 seconds.

Williams was elated with her silver and personal best.

"I am very happy," she said. "Although I was not able to emulate the feat of my sister Shermaine, who won gold two years ago, I am satisfied with my result," she added.

In other finals on the track last night, there was no luck for Jamaica. World Youth 100 metres champion Odail Todd did a personal best 10.41 seconds for fourth in the boys' 100m final, while Natasha Morrison (11.59) was fifth and Celia Walters was eighth in 11.93 in the girls' final.

Trinidad and Tobago's Michelle Lee Ahaye won the girls' gold in 11.25 ahead of the American Keilah Tyson in 11.39, as Bahamian Anthonique Strachan took the bronze in 11.46.

Javare Bell was eighth in the boys' 400 metres final in 49.38 seconds.