media_artricles :: 2013

Zenith, D’abadie athletes top CAC qualifiers

Tariq Horsford won the boys Under-15 Heptathlon at the NAAA’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Age Group Trials at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva recently.

The Zenith athlete completed the seven event discipline with 4,865 points to finish ahead of club mate Franklyn Stanisclaus (4623) and Tyrell Edwards (Toco Titans) 4,523.

Horsford, who won four gold medals at this year Secondary Schools’ Track and Field Championships in March, had a good all-round performance winning two events (80m hurdles-11.78, Cricket ball throw-75.61), finishing no less than third in the remaining events.

The Signal HIll Secondary student was second in shot put (14.24), high jump(1.62) and third in the 80m (10.04), and long jump (5.45) while Stanisclaus topped the 80m (9.62) and high jump (1.75) and was third in the shot put (11.49) and 80m hurdles (12.67). Edwards was second in the 80m (9.63), long jump (5.74) and 80m hurdles (11.99). Horsford won the Falcons Games Heptathlon event last month.

Another Zenith athlete Safiya John took the girls’ U-13 Pentathlon title with 2,264 points. John started the five event competition slowly finished 13th (9.46) in the 60m dash but improved to fourth (4.06) in the next event, the long jump and then to second in the cricket ball throw (36.04) before topping the high jump (1.25).

John ended with a third place finish in the final event, the 800m (2:44.43). Antonia Sealey (Pt Fortin New Jets) took the runner-up spot (2,243) ahead of Shaniece Francois (Neon Trackers) 2,201.

Zenith was denied a third title in the girls’ U-15 Heptathlon as Aquilla St Louis (D’Abadie Progressive) took the gold in with 3,322 to hold off the Zenith duo of Ayana Akili (3255) and Shaquana Scott (3232).

St Louis, who won the girls’ U-13 Pentathlon crown two years ago, started off well with a victory in the first event, the 80m flat (10.43) and was second in the high jump (1.41) behind Akili (1.50). The St Francois Girls student fell back in the cricket ball throw as she could only finish 11th (38.37).

However, she rebounded to take sixth place in the 60m hurdles (11.69) as Akili triumphed once again (10.92). St Louis then forged ahead by capturing the long jump (4.76). In the final event, the 1,000m champion did enough to finish ahead of the gold medal contenders taking sixth (3:36.75) as Scott was seventh (3:38.09 and Akili eighth (3:38.19).

St Louis was one of two D’Abadie Progressive athletes who were victorious at the two day meet. Avindale Smith won the boys U-13 Pentathlon with 2,733 with clubmate Joel Andrews taking second (2678). Smith, last year’s U-11 Tetrathon winner, won the high jump (1.44), was second in the long jump (4.74) and fourth in the cricket ball throw (44.61). Jabari Fox (Pt Fortin New Jets) was third (2,644).

The top two finishers in each event are expected to be selected to represent T&T at this year’s CAC Age-Group Championships in Cuaracao from June 29-30.

Top