media_artricles :: 2018

Colthrust, Roach eye Junior FCB titles

Track and Field duo, Adell Colthrust and Ianna Roach are the front runners to take home the First Citizens Sports Foundation 2017 top Youth Awards at its annual sports awards on March 24, 2018 at the Queen's Hall, Port-of-Spain.

Sprinter Colthurst enjoyed a historic campaign in the final of the Boys Under-18 100 metres race at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in Nassau Bahamas last year.

In the CYG final, he was fastest out the blocks and at the front of the field and urged on by a vocal contingent of T&T athletes and team-mates, Colthrust sprinted his way into the record books, becoming T&T's second Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist, behind swimmer Christian Homer, who achieved the feat in the 50m backstroke in 2010 in Singapore

His appetite for the big stage culminated in Carifta Games gold in the boys' 100 meter Under-18 final, a sprint of 10.69 seconds, securing his place atop the podium in Curacao.

It was surely a year to remember for the jet heeled La Romaine resident as he obliterated the competition domestically, regionally and internationally in 2017.

His main rival for the top award is 2015 award winner, Jeron Thompson who swam with the best in the world and emerged with T&T's first ever swimming medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games. Bronze in the 50 metres freestyle in the Bahamas in a time of 23.43.

Captain of the T&T Carifta team, Thomspon won gold in the 50 metres breaststroke and 50 metres freestyle as he proved a charismastic leader.

Further success followed at the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championship as Thompson completed the regional double gold winning gold in the 50 metres breastsroke in a time of 29.26e.

Roach, a Bishops Anstey student captured T&T's first gold medal of the 46th Carifta Games with victory in the Under-18 Girl's shot put final, effectively opening the floodgates for team T&T's gold medal rush at the Track and field Championships in Curacao.

A fourth place finish, against a high quality field of opponents at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas speaks to a formidable future and cemented her burgeoning reputation.

Another contender for the Junior Girls awards is swimmer Gabriella Donahue proved she was without peer in the Carifta pool.

A swimming sensation, Donahue won five individual gold medals and in the process was named the 'Most Outstanding' 13-14 Girls' swimmer at the 2017 Carifta Swimming Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.

Her wins included the 50m and 200m breaststroke, 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke, and the 100m breaststroke.

At the CCAN Championships, Donahue captured double gold in the 50 metres breaststroke and 50 metres backstroke.

Her amazing form continued when she copped silver in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and a bronze in the 50 metres freestyle.

Donahue's amazing medal haul of seven gold medals over two international swim meets, three silver medals and one bronze demark a special year for the South Florida native.

Overall, 17 girls and 24 boys are in the hunt for the top junior accolades.

The athletes were chosen by the Foundation's selection committee, headed by Chairman Dr. Keith Clifford and aided by sporting associations through the nominations of athletes.

First Citizens Foundation awards nominees:

Junior Men:

Adelle Colthrust (athletics), Issa Deen (automobile), Renaldo Sinanan (badminton), Nickell Joseph (boxing), Josiah Clarke (kayaking), Joshua Johnson (chess), Cephas Cooper (cricket), Enrique De Comarmond (cycling), Judah Garcia (football), Clint Ramdial (gymnastics), Sam Avey (golf), Teague Marcano (hockey), Xavier Jones (judo), Sameer Saud Ali (karate), Kiran Toolaram (powerlifting), Jeron Pantor (rugby), Nicholas Caddle (squash), Jeron Thompson (swimming), Elton John (surfing), Luc O'Young (table tennis), Aidan Carter (lawn tennis), Jean Maurice Young (taekwondo), Omprakash Singh (target archery), Hayden Reid (triathlon).

Junior Women:

Ianna Roach (athletics), T'Shelle Barnes (badminton), Gabriella Johnson (chess), Aaliyah Prince (football), Rhenece Andrews (gymnastics), Yeji Lee (golf), Shaniah De Freitas (hockey), Chelsea Winter (karate), Faith Hagley (netball), Fayola Jack (rugby), Alexandria Yearwood (squash), Gabrielle Donahue (swimming), Shreya Maharaj (table tennis), Solange Skeene (lawn tennis), Chelsea Mofford (taekwondo), Shemariah Ali (target archery), Rachel Grosberg (triathlon).

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