Jamaica end NACAC Champs with 48 medals

JAMAICA won 12 medals four gold, five silver and three bronze on yesterday’s final day of competition at the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Track and Field Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico, to end the championships with 48 medals: 23 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze.

The Jamaican team finished second overall on the medal table behind hosts Mexico who topped the championships with 63 medals - 24 gold, 17 silver and 22 bronze.

On the track yesterday, Jamaica won two individual gold medals along with two relay medals. Alikay Reynolds gave the team a perfect start in the Girls’ Under-18 800 metres as she stopped the clock at 2:09.67 to take the gold medal. Nyler Kerr of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 2:10.68, with Cintia Nayeli Gomez of Mexico taking third in 2:11.45.

With a heavy tailwind assisting the sprinters, Alana Reid won Jamaica’s second individual gold medal of the day. After finishing second in the 100m behind teammate Lavanya Williams, Reid, the national senior 200m champion, reversed the placings in the half-lap event. Aided by a positive wind of 3.0 metres per second, Reid held off a strong challenge from Williams to win the Under-23 200m in 22.29 seconds. Williams finished second in 22.40, while Kelia Bentham of Barbados was third in 23.00.

Competing in only two 4x400m relays, Jamaica struck gold in both events. The Girls’ Under-18 team won in 3:37.04, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (3:44.72) and Mexico (3:45.15). The Boys’ Under-18 team was also victorious, winning comfortably in 3:08.79, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (3:13.35) and Mexico (3:31.65). Jamaica did not field teams in the Under-23 category.

There were silver medals for Leanna Lewis, Talshawn Edwards, Despiro Wray and the Jamaican mixed 4x100m relay Under-18 team.

Competing in the Under-23 women’s 800 metres, Lewis clocked 2:08.86 as Layla Hayles of Bermuda won gold in 2:07.86, with Georgina Caridad Sosa of Mexico taking bronze in 2:09.38.

Edwards finished second in the Under-18 boys’ long jump with 7.03m, while Wray secured the other individual silver after placing second in the Under-23 men’s shot put with 17.83m. The mixed 4x100m relay team clocked 43.39 seconds for silver as the Bahamas won gold in 43.00, with Guatemala taking bronze in 44.25.

Tray Watson, Stefvanco Henry and Jade Ann Dawkins collected Jamaica’s three bronze medals.

Henry cleared 1.60m in the Girls’ Under-18 high jump, Watson finished third in the Under-18 boys’ 200m in 20.96 seconds with the aid of a 5.2 mps tailwind, while Dawkins claimed bronze in the Women’s Under-23 triple jump with 13.04m.