Sprint favourites cruise to finals at Carifta Trials
Published:Saturday | March 12, 2022 | 12:08 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Reigning World Under-20 100 metres champion, Edwin Allen High’s Tina Clayton, and Hydel High’s Kerricka Hill will resume a fierce battle to claim a spot on Jamaica’s team as both posted fast times in their 100m heats on the opening day of the three-day Carifta Trials at the National Stadium yesterday.
Clayton will enter today’s final with the second-fastest time among the eight finalists, winning her heat in a new season’s best time of 11.39 seconds. However, it is Hill who has the fastest time, winning her heat in 11.31. Clayton will be joined by her twin sister Tia who qualified with 11.41 as well as Petersfield High’s Alexis James and Serena Cole, also of Edwin Allen. Cole took the Under-20 long jump title earlier in the afternoon before sealing her place in the 100m final.
Western Championships 100m winner, DeAndre Daley of Herbert Morrison, secured his spot in the final with a personal best of 10.30, the fastest among the qualifiers. It was a run that Daley said he knew he was capable of in a season that he is hoping to avoid the injury bug that has plagued him in previous seasons.
“I know I have been injured many times, so coming into these Trials I had to change a lot of things because I want to end the season injury-free,” Daley said.
St Catherine High’s Sandrey Davison will enter today’s final with the second-fastest time, winning his heat in 10.32. Kingston College’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, who is the Corporate Area champion, also progressed to the final clocking 10.55.
FASTEST TIME
Shaquane Gordon of Calabar High (10.79), Wolmer’s Boys’ Gary Card (10.85) and Spot Valley High’s Romario Hines (10.98) had the three fastest times for the Under-17 100m boys entering the final while Edwin Allen’s Theianna Lee Terrelonge (11.73), Hydel High’s Shemonique Hazle (11.76) and St Jago’s Bryana Davidson (12.03) are among the top three for the Under-17 100m girls.
In the field, Hydel’s Natassia Burrell booked her place on the team winning the Under-17 shot put with a distance of 13.84m which she secured with her third attempt. In the Under-20 shot put for girls, Camperdown’s Victoria Christie, one of the pre-meet favourites for the event, found herself outside of the top three with a distance of 12.54m. The event was won by her teammate Britannia Johnson with a distance of 14.65m on her second attempt. Cole, who won the Class Two long jump title at last year’s ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships, secured her place on the Carifta team for at least one event, winning the Under-20 long jump with a distance of 5.84m. St Andrew High’s Jo-Anna Pinnock finished second with 5.80m while Kay-Lagay Clarke of St Jago High came third in 5.74m.
Kingston College’s Aaron McKenzie won the Under-17 high jump title with a height of 2.00m while the Under-17 girls’ title was captured by Edwin Allen’s Asia McKay in 1.68m. The Under-17 shot put was won by Despiro Wray of Kingston College with a best of 14.23m.
Andrene Peart of Holmwood Technical and Yoshane Bowen of Maggotty High took the Under-17 girls’ and boys’ 1500m titles in times of 4:53:10 and 4:09.21, respectively. Holmwood Technical’s Jody Ann Mitchell and Jamaica College’s J’Voughnn Blake will represent Jamaica in the Under-20 category at next month’s Carifta Games with wins in their 1500m finals.