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Great T&T showing at Carifta Games.

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Flex:
Great T&T showing at Carifta Games.
BY KWAME WILLIAMS.

The athletes, coaches and officials that represented T&T at the Carifta Games can all feel proud of the performance they put on over the weekend at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacelot, Tobago.

The local team recorded its largest ever medal haul in the 34-year history of the meet, earning 36 medals after three days of competition. This included 13 gold medals, 14 silver and nine bronze. It was also the most Carifta gold medals won by a team from T&T.

Perennial Games champions Jamaica were the only country to top T&T’s total, winning 59 medals overall—29 gold, 19 silver and 11 bronze.

Sprinter Kelly Ann Baptiste, Annie Alexander, Rhonda Watkins, Garvyn Nero, Britany St Louis, Kervin Morgan, Renny Quow, Natoya Baird, the Boys’ and Girls’ Under-17 4x400 metres relay teams and the Boys’ Under-20 4x100m relay team were the local team’s winners.

The hometown girl Baptiste was a double gold medallist, blazing to victory first in the Under-20 100m dash on the opening day (Saturday) in a new personal best time of 11.39 seconds. This was followed by a win in the 200m (23.25 secs) on day three on Monday.

Watkins also took home double gold, out-jumping her rivals in the Girls’ Under-20 long jump competition with a 6.29m attempt on Saturday, then clearing the bar in the high jump at 1.82m on Monday.

Her high jump-winning mark eclipsed the 1.81m national junior record she achieved at the Carifta trials earlier this month.

Quow was impressive on the opening night. He came from behind to pip countryman Jamil James at the line, which got him the Boys’ Under-20 400m crown.

Baird, who joined Quow and Baptiste as one of three Tobagonians to win gold at the meet, outscored her competition in five events, making her the first local woman to win the Girls’ Open pentathlon since Charisse Bacchus in 2002. She tallied 3,286 points.

Alexander topped the field in the Girls’ Under-20 shot put competition with an impressive 14.62m throw, her fifth out of six alloted attempts. St Louis (54.79) and Morgan (48.15 secs) won the Girls’ and Boys’ Under-17 400m, respectively.

On Monday night, Britany teamed up with her cousin Sade St Louis, Kelly Ann Romeo and Kadeesha Spencer to contest the quartermile relay. It turned out to be a winning combination, as fine running from each of the girls, Spencer in particular, saw T&T completing the four-leg race in 3:44.05.

The most exciting triumph of the games for T&T, and probably the most significant, belonged to the Kervin Morgan-anchored Boys’ Under-17 4x400m relay team.

On Monday night, he, Zwede Hewitt, Javon Toppin and Jevon Matthews snatched victory away from their Jamaican counterparts, who were well on their way to a win, doing so in 3:15.09. The time was a new Carifta record.

Nero proved that he his one to look out for in the future, putting on a show in the Boys’ Under-17 3,000m final on Saturday. He ran away with the gold, clocking nine minutes and 15.92 secs.

Marcus Duncan, Keston Bledman, Ricky Caruth and Jamil James combined well to clinch the 4x100m title.

T&T Medallists

GOLD MEDALLISTS

Kelly Ann Baptiste (Girls’ U-20 100 and 200m), Annie Alexander (Girls’ U-20 shot put), Rhonda Watkins (Girls’ Under-20 high and long jumps), Garvyn Nero (Boys’ U-17 3,000), Britany St Louis (Girls’ U-17 400m), Kervin Morgan (Boys’ U-17 400m), Renny Quow (Boys’ U-20 400m), Natoya Baird (Girls’ Open pentathlon), Boys’ 4x400m relay team (Zwede Hewitt, Jevon Toppin, Jervon Matthews, Kervin Morgan) and Girls’ Under-17 4x400 metres relay team (Sade St Louis, Kelly Ann Romeo, Kadeesha Spencer, Britany St Louis), Boys’ Under-20 4x100m relay team (Marcus Duncan, Keston Bledman, Ricky Caruth, Jamil James).

SILVER MEDALLISTS

Annie Alexander (Girls’ U-20 discus), Pilar Mc Shine (Girls’ U-20 1,500m, 3,000m), Jamil James (Boys’ U-20 400m), Jurnelle Francis (Girls’ U-17 100m), Marcus Duncan (Boys’ U-20 100m), Girls’ U-17 4x100m relay team (Jurnelle Francis, Marsha Louis, Kadeesha Spencer, Nikoya Giles), Boys’ U-17 4x100m relay team (Kwesi King, Jamie Payne, Kerron Anthony, Jevon John), Girls’ U-20 4x100m relay team (Monique Cabral, Kelly Ann Baptiste, Semoy Hackett, Jurlene Francis), Boys’ U-20 4x400m relay team (Jamil James, Renny Quow, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Damon Douglas), Britany St Louis (Girls’ U-17 200m), Kervin Morgan (Boys’ U-17 200m), Girls’ U-20 4x400m relay team (Crystal Skeete, Jenelle Clarke, Shelly Mc Clean, Latosha Roach), Garvyn Nero (Boys’ U-17 1,500m).

BRONZE MEDALLISTS

Marsha Louis (Girls’ U-17 100m), Marcus Duncan (Boys’ U-20 200m), Kyron Blaise (Boys’ U-17 triple jump), Ansil Nicholson (Boys’ U-17 400m hurdles), Peter Carter (Boys’ Open heptathlon), Lavonne Charles (Girls’ U-17 javelin), Kerticha John (Girls’ U-20 800m), Dellon Williams (Boys’ U-20 triple jump), Emmanuel Stewart (Boys’ U-17 discus).

Savannah boy:
Future looks bright.

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