media_artricles :: 2014

Improved T&T takes second at CUT Games

Jaydon Bartholomew, Caliyah Wallace, and Tyrik Horsford were awarded for their dominance in their respective age divisions when T&T moved up to an improved second-place finish at the recently concluded Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) 15th biennial Championships, which was held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, last weekend.

In total, T&T secured 40 medals, finishing behind of Jamaica (50 medals) and ahead of third-placed Barbados (38). T&T increased its gold medal count by two from the 2012 edition and six out of a total of 23 records were also broken by T&T athletes in the process.

The T&T team got off to a great start when Tyriq Horsford of Tobago threw the Javelin 61.45 metres to write his name in the record book. The young Zenith athlete secured his second success in the boys Under-15 shot put when he registered a distance of 15.64m.

National athletes continued to break records when Avindale Smith out-jumped his compatriot to win the Under-13 high jump with a leap of 1.62m. Ethan Forde of Cougars Track and Field Club, became the new holder of the boys’ Under-13 400m Track record when he finished his event in 55.48 seconds.

Janae Spinks of Neon Trackers, scored impressively in her girls’ Under-15 100m sprint, outrunning her rivals in the record time of 12.11 seconds, a new CUT Record. Not to be out-done, Aaron Antoine, also of Neon Trackers, out-jumped his opposition in the Under-11 boys long jump to win with his leap of 4.54 metres. Jaydon Batholomew also broke the record in the Under-9 80m dash when he registered the time of 11.81 seconds. Other gold medal winners included Janae De Gannes of Zenith Athletic Club from Tobago who won the Girls’ Under-9 long jump with a distance of 3.72m.

Double gold medallist Caliyah Wallace was adjudged the most valuable female athlete, amassing a total of 28 points for the award. Wallace of Cougars Track and Field Club, won both the 100m and 200m but finished second in the girls’ Under-13 400m. Also snatching gold for T&T was Cougars athlete and new Caribbean Under-15 javelin champion, Melissa Boxhill.

There were some other sterling performances from our T&T athletes as Aaliyah Mitchell finished third in both the girls’ Open 1200m and 800m events.

In the girls’ Under-11 long jump Iasha Wynne gave T&T another silver medal. Malika Coutain of Point Fortin New Jet then leapt 1.41m to get bronze in the girls’ Under-13 high jump. De Gannes also came back to get silver in the girls’ Under-9 80m dash finishing behind Calah McDonald of Jamaica, who recorded a new games record of 11.42 seconds.

Zenith athlete Kevon McKenna had to settle for second on two occasions behind Jamaicans in the Boys’ Under-11 100m and 300m. McKenna was out-dipped by Jamaican Nkrumie Bouwahgie in the 100m which had record time of 13.09 seconds held by T&T’s Adell Colthrust back in 2010. Needless to say both athletes broke the record with McKenna registering 13.07, while the winner registered 13 seconds flat.

Ethan Forde then finished second to Jamaican Anthony Haslam who equaled the record time set by Andrew Hinds of 11.60 seconds.

It was then the turn of young Kekola Bhola to get to centre-stage and she finished second in the girls’ Under-13 cricket ball throw with her 49.34m-effort. The event was won by Grenada’s Darlyne Evans who produced an attempt of 52.21m.

In the shot put, Kerneka Waldron won bronze with her effort of 9.73m. Grenada’s Karlene Peters won gold with her put of 11.04 metres.

In the 800 medley event for girls the quartet of Melissa Boxhill, Spinks, Wallace and Deleth Charles, went down to a powerful Jamaica team in a photo finish which saw Jamaica winning in a new record time of 1:47.57. T&T was second in a time of 1:47.59. In the boys medley, the quartet of Horsford, Kirvon Flatts, Timothy Frederick, and Josiah Edwards finished third behind new record holder Jamaica.

Jamaica registered a time of 1:33.68 with T&T recording a time of 1:40.00.

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