Alana Reid, the 2022 World Under-20 bronze medallist, and Malique Smith Band emerged as victors in their respective Under-20 200m races on the third and final day of the Carifta Games Trials at the National Stadium on Sunday.
Reid, who represents Hydel High, sprinted away from the field in the final stretch, clocking an impressive time of 22.96 seconds with a positive wind of 0.3 metres per second.
The 22.96-second clocking by Reid was just one-hundredth of a second outside of her personal best, recorded on August 5 when she secured the bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Carletta Bernard of Mount Alvernia High School finished second with a new personal best of 23.51 seconds, while Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High took third place in 23.95 seconds, also a new personal best.
Reid’s victory in the 200m marks her second medal in the Games, as she finished second in the 100m final on Saturday, behind Serena Cole of Edwin Allen High.
In the Boys’ Under-20 200m final, Smith Band of Jamaica College (JC) powered through the finish line in 21.13 seconds with a negative wind of 3.3 metres per second. Jevorne Dunkley of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) finished in second place with a time of 21.29, while Delano Kennedy of Edwin Allen High, who won the 400m title on Saturday, had to settle for third place with a time of 21.48 seconds.
Donte Mendez of Calabar High clinched the Boys’ Under-17 200m title, finishing with an impressive time of 21.92 seconds, a big personal best for the young athlete.
Mendez finished well clear of the JC pair of Dontae Watson (22.17) and Nathaniel Martin (22.30).
Natrece East of Wolmer’s, who won the Girls’ Under-17 100m title on Saturday, completed the sprint double by taking the 200m title in 24.47 seconds. Adora Campbell of St Jago High finished second with a time of 24.78 seconds, while Onetta Mitchell of Hydel High took third place with a time of 25.04 seconds.
Roshawn Clarke, the 2022 World Under-20 bronze medallist, managed to fend off a strong challenge from Kingston College’s (KC) Antonio Forbes to win the Boys’ Under-20 400m hurdles title with a time of 50.52 seconds. Forbes finished in second place with a time of 50.68 seconds, while Tyrece Hyman of Edwin Allen High took third place with a time of 51.77 seconds.
Tonyann Beckford of Edwin Allen won the Girls’ Under-20 400m hurdles title with a new personal best time of 57.33 seconds. Chennai Jarrett of STETHS finished second in 57.60, while Annalice Brady of Holmwood Technical claimed third in 59.33 seconds.
Jody-Ann Daley of Hydel High won the Girls’ Under-17 400m hurdles in 1:01.50, ahead of Rhianna Lewis of Rhodes Hall High School, who clocked 1:01.74 for second place. The two finished well clear of third-place Latanya Dixon of St Mary High, who finished with a time of 1:05.06.
DeAndre Gayle of JC beat Demarco Bennett of Excelsior High to the Boys’ Under-17 400m hurdles title, 53.17 to 53.24. KC’s Tajoneil Gordon had to settle for third in 54.22.
Habiba Harris of STETHS outbattled Petersfield High’s Alexis James, the 2022 World Under-20 silver medallist, to win the Girls’ Under-20 100m hurdles title in a new personal best of 13.35 (-1.7m/s). James, who finished third in the 100m on Saturday, clocked 13.38 for her second place. Asharria Ulett of St Catherine High was third in 13.63.
Calabar High’s Shaquane Gordon pulled off a big upset victory in the Boys’ Under-20 110m hurdles final. Gordon, who competes in Class 2, claimed victory in a new personal best time of 13.50 (-0.3m/s). The big favourite Demario Prince of St Jago High had to settle for second in 13.56 seconds, also a new personal best.
Prince’s St Jago High teammate Andre Harris was third in 14.04.
Carifta Games champion Bryana Davidson triumphed in the Girls’ Under-17 100m hurdles in 13.50 seconds (-0.9m/s), while KC’s Kahiem Carby claimed the Boys’ Under-17 110m hurdles title in 13.01 (-2.1m/s).
The athletes are competing for places on the Jamaican team for the 2023 Carifta Games set for April 8-10 in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Carifta Games is arguably the biggest and most popular annual junior athletics championships in the region.
In the 49-year history of the Games, Jamaica has topped the medal table 44 times and the country’s last defeat was in 1984 when the Bahamas won at home.
