media_artricles :: 2016

NAAA celebrates Cedenio and Ahye 2015 exploits

Quatermiler Machel Cedenio and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye were named the men’s and women’s Athletes of the Year respectively when the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) held its 18th annual awards ceremony at the Raddison Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain on Saturday evening.

While victory for Cedenio, 20, came as no surprise citing the polished year in competition, Ahye’s feat was the upset on the night. The 23-year-old had been dogged by injury during the 2015 season.

Sprinters Akanni Hislop and Khalifa St Fort were adjudged the youth Athletes of the Year respectively, but the announcement of Junior Athletes for the Year honours saw the fortunes of field athletes improve. This category of athletes emerged as best performing juniors last season as proven with awards for long jumper Andwuelle Wright and shot putter Portious Warren.

When it came time to reward the Master Athlete of the Year—Albert St Louis and Marsha Mark Baird were awarded the men’s and women’s equivalents.

But the superb performance delivered by the nation’s para-athletes did not go unrewarded as Nyoshia Cain and Akeem Stewart were bestowed with Global Excellence Awards.

Stewart set world records in the discus (63.03m) and javelin (53.36m) events in the F44 categories at the Parapan Am Games back in August. Two months later Cain created history by winning bronze in the 100-metre final of the IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha.

Cedenio, the 400-metre specialist started 2016 similar to how he ended 2015–on a high and deservedly so.

Last Tuesday he was honoured by the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) as its Senior Sportsman of the Year. At the weekend, he continued his winning ways with more honours as the NAAA which was the national governing body responsible for his sport declared him as the Most Outstanding Athlete (Men Open –Track), before saluting him for an Outstanding Performance in 2015 and wrapping up his accolades with the Senior Athlete of the Year prize.

By winning an individual silver at the Pan American Games and then anchoring the men’s 4by 400-m team to gold made him a prime candidate for these honours.

Ahye brought home bronze for T&T at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championships and took the fifth spot at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China in a time of 10.98.

She would improve on that by helping teammates Khalifa St Fort, Reyare Thomas, Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Semoy Hackett to bronze in the women’s 4 by 100m relay at the Pan Am Games.

Back at home, she secured silver at the NAAA Senior Open Championships.

The athlete who was in Houston, Texas, training, was represented by her mother Raquel Ahye at the awards ceremony.

Interviewed, Ahye (Raquel) admitted that the award came as a surprise, even though her daughter performed credibly during the 2015 season.

“I was expecting it to go to Cleopatra,” she said.

She described the past year as a difficult one for her daughter.

Ahye (Raquel) recalled the regular conversations with her daughter that would always include the challenges associated with training in cold weather environments and burden of injury.

“I just tell her trust in God and everything will be conquered,” she said.

Ahye firmly belief her daughter would have been a footballer, but to her amazement, she switched disciplines and the rest was now history.

“I just continued watching her and grooming her to make sure she went down the right path. She started sports at the age of 7. From the Milo Games she kept on rising to the top. She was in Concorde Athletic Club,” she said.

Asked what element of her daughter’s track performance fascinated her, Ahye replied, “her speed!”

She explained: “Most of the things I told her. I wanted her to be ten times better than me and she showed me she is a 100 times better than me. The technology they have now, we didn’t have it. I told her make use of it (technology). My events were the 100m and the 200m. It’s great to watch her on TV and represent this country in athletics.” On the topic of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil, the Ahye family had been discussing the medal possibilities.

NAAA 2015 Honour Roll

• Machel Cedenio, Senior Athlete of the Year–Male
• Michelle-Lee Ahye , Senior Athlete of the Year–Female
• Andwuelle Wright, Junior Athlete of the Year–Male
• Portious Warren, Junior Athlete of the Year–Female
• Akanni Hislop, Youth Athlete of the Year–Male
• Khalif St Fort, Youth Athlete of the Year–Female
• Albert St Louis, Masters Athlete of the Year–Male
• Marsha Mark Baird, Masters Athlete of the Year–Female
• Nyoshia Cain, (Para-Athletics) In recognition of Global Excellence
• Akeem Stewart (Para-Athletics) In recognition of Global Excellence
• Cougars Athletic Club, Champion Club–Juvenile
• Memphis Pioneers, Champion Club–Junior
• Memphis Pioneers, Champion Club–Senior
• Outstanding Performances 2015:
• Tyriq Horsford, Zenith Athletic Club
• Khalifa St Fort, Unattached
• Portious Warren, Toco TAFAC
• Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Zenith Athletic Club
• Cleopatra Borel, Rebirth Athletic Club
• Keston Bledman, Simplex Athletic Club
• Machel Cedenio, Simplex Athletic Club
• Deon Lendore, Abilene Wild Cats Athletic Club
• Mikel Thomas, Rebirth Athletic Club
• Keshorn Walcott, Rebirth Athletic Club
• Women’s 4 by 100-metre Relay Team
• (Khalifa St Fort, Reyare Thomas, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Semoy Hackett)
• Men’s 4 by 400-metre Relay Team
• (Jarrin Solomon, Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, Machel Cedenio, Deon Lendore)
• Most Outstanding Cross Country Athlete (Men Open):
• Matthew Hagley, TT Defence Force
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Women Open –Track)
• Michelle-Lee Ahye, Rebirth Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Women Open–Field)
• Cleopatra Borel, Rebirth Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Men Open–Track)
• Machel Cedenio, Simplex Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Men Open–Field)
• Keshorn Walcott, Rebirth Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 10)
• Janika Jordan, Cougars Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 10)
• Tyrell Springer, Cougars Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 12)
• Natasha Fox, PFNJ
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 12)
• Keavon Mc Kenna, Zenith Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 14)
• Patrice Richards, Neon Wolves A/C
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 14)
• Ayele Joseph, Maximizing Athletic Potential
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 16 Track)
• Deleth Charles, Memphis Pioneers
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 16 Field)
• Safiya John, Kaizen Panthers
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 16 Field)
• Tyriq Horsford, Zenith Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 16 Track)
• Che Lara, Abilene Wildcats A/C
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 18 Track)
• Khalifa St Fort, Unattached
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 18 Field)
• Akida Briggs, Toco Titans
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 18 Track)
• Akanni Hislsop, Zenith Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 18 Field)
• Isaiah Taylor, Abilene Wildcats A/C
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 20 Track)
• Kayelle Clarke, Petrotrin P.A.P
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 20 Field)
• Portious Warren, Toco TAFAC
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 20 Track)
• Aaron Lewis, Kaizen Panthers A/C
• Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 20 Field)
• Andwuelle Wright, Rebirth A/C
• Most Outstanding Distance Athlete (Women Open–Road)
• Tonya Nero, Athletic Central
• Most Outstanding Distance Athlete (Men Open –Road)
• Curtis Cox, Simplex Athletic Club
• Most Outstanding Cross Country Athlete (Women Open)
• Tonya Nero, Athletic Central

Sponsors Awards:

• National Gas Company of T&T Limited
• Sagicor General
• Petrotrin
• Blue Waters

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