media_artricles :: 2014

Bledman cruises to Southern Games gold

Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) Olympic sprint relay medallist, Keston Bledman outclassed the field on the grass track at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre to win the feature men’s Invitational 100 metres event at the 2014 Southern Games, yesterday.

The reigning national sprint champion got a good start and pulled away from his rivals from around the 30-metre mark to win easing down in a time of 10.55 seconds. Jamaica’s Sheldon Mitchell took second in 10.65 with Antoine Adams of St Kitts and Nevis third in 10.82.

And Michelle Lee Ahye would emulate Bledman’s performance in the women’s Invitational 100m dash when she led from start to finish in an unchallenged romp from Kamaria Durant and Kayelle Clarke for a T&T one-two-three finish. Lee Ahye stopped the clock in 11.48 seconds while Durant and Clarke returned 11.76 and 11.95, respectively.

The men’s 100 metres was won by UTT’s Le Sean Noel in a decent 10.95 seconds from the unattached Courtney Bascombe, 11.03, and Jesse Berkely of Simplex in 11.08. Point Fortin’s Aaliyah Telesford was the winner of the women’s 100m. She won in a time of 12.05 seconds from Onika Murray of Simplex, 12.35 and Memphis’ Janae Alexander, 12.63.

Some of T&T’s Carifta representatives also showcased what to expect over the Easter weekend by turning in good performances. Young Adell Colthrust was an impressive winner of the Boy’s Under-16 100m dash in 11.20 seconds. The Southern Athletics sprinter came home well clear of Abilene’s Ronaldo Moore, 11.73, and Dale Joseph of Simplex, 12.02.

Concorde’s John Mark Constantine, another Carifta athlete, captured the Boy’s Under-20 100m in a decent 11.02 seconds from Daniel Garraway of Point Fortin, 11.29, with Abilene’s Gervais Ford, third in 11.37.

Chad Richards took the Boy’s Under-18 100m sprint in 11.45 seconds. Warriors’ Alan Huggins was second in 11.67 and Elijah Young of Mustangs, third in 11.75. And Concorde’s Kadesha Prescott took the Girl’s U-18 100m from Shikyla Walcott of Simplex and Memphis’ Rayann Linton. The top three returned times of 12.59, 12.65 and 12.94, respectively.

Kenya’s Silas Kisorio had a pillar to post win in the men’s 1,500 metres event. Silas dictated the pace throughout and withstood a determined challenge from Guyana’s Cleveland Forde to win in a time of four minutes, 00.05 seconds. Forde returned 4.00.69 while his countryman Cleveland Thomas was third in 4.09.49.

Away from the track, Andre Andrews won the men’s Javelin from his clubmate Precious George and UWI’s Anderson Thompson. The Warriors athlete had a best effort of 53.18 metres while George threw the spear 51.17m and Thompson, 38.91m.

Portious Warren of Toco Tafac won the women’s shot put with a best throw of 13.16 metres. Palo Seco’s Gwendolyn Smith took second with a distance of 12.30m while Darlene Lewis of UWI had a best effort of 11.54m for third.

And on the cycle track T&T’s Jude Codrington got the ball rolling for the home team when he pulled off a gritty win the 500 metres event for international riders.

Jamaica’s Marloe Rodman led from the off in a bid to go all the way in the one-lap event but Codrington would put in a sustained challenge from 200 metres out to go past Rodman close home.

A fast-finishing Diego Pena of Colombia and T&T’s Keron Bramble would also nail the Jamaican to take second and third, respectively. Codrington was also the lone T&T rider to make in to today’s match sprint semi-finals with a determined win over USA’s Zak Kovalcik in their quarterfinal match-up. He will face Rodman, who defeated Joshua Alexander, in a bid to secure a berth in the championship ride-off.

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