media_artricles :: 2014

Serrette: Good performance at CAC Juniors

EPHRAIM SERRETTE, president of the National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA), has described the performance of the national team at the CAC (Central American and Caribbean) Junior Championships, which took place last weekend in Mexico, as good.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Serrette said, “we would have sent, which would have been our largest team that would have gone to a CAC Junior (Championships). We have set high standards, we have adjusted all the standards this year and , yet still, the athletes have performed and attained the standards to represent us.

“The 10 gold medals, five silver and seven bronze, it is a good performance,” he added.

Trinidad and Tobago’s haul of 22 medals was the third best at the three-day CAC Juniors, behind Mexico (100) and Jamaica (43).

Multiple CARIFTA Games 400-metre gold medallist Machel Cedenio was one of the top performers on the Trinidad and Tobago, as he cruised to victory in the boys Under-20 one-lap.

“With Machel running 45.28 (seconds), which is the second-best time in the world by a junior, and the performances of all the relays, I think it augurs well for our team going forward to the World Juniors in Oregon, in the next couple of weeks.

“What I’m seeing is that our athletes are learning the game, understanding the whole sport itself and I think our coaches are also doing an excellent job with the young athletes,” Serrette added.

Looking ahead to the World Juniors, Serrette said, “we have a team of about 20 athletes who have been selected to represent us at that meet. We should do well, with Cedenio, we have (Jonathan) Farinha ranked in the top-10 in the 100 and 200 (metres) and all our relay teams are in the top-10 rankings on the IAAF.”

The team returned home on Monday, while the World Junior team will leave Trinidad on July 20.

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