media_artricles :: 2016

McKay rules at Juvenile Champs

Shakeem McKay picked up from where he left off on Saturday afternoon, winning two individual titles and anchoring Memphis Pioneers to another relay gold on the second and final day of the NGC/NAAA National Juvenile Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, yesterday.

McKay topped the boys' under-14 200 metres field in a wind-assisted 23.40 seconds to complete the sprint double. The Queen's Royal College student was well inside the 23.89 Championship record, but was robbed of the honour by a 2.1 metres per second following wind, marginally above the 2.0 legal limit.

McKay was well in front coming off the bend. Jordan Pope tried to mount a challenge on the straight, but was no match for McKay, and had to settle for silver in 23.93. Kern Cedeno clocked 24.50 for bronze.

While the wind got in the way in the 200, McKay had the satisfaction of breaking a meet record in the long jump. He claimed gold with a 5.34 metres leap, just getting the better of Pope, who seized silver at 5.31m.

Aaron Antoine jumped a wind-aided 5.01m to earn bronze.

McKay closed off the meet with a superb run in the boys' under-14 sprint medley relay. He anchored his team to a resounding victory, Memphis completing the 100x200x300x400m race in two minutes, 12.21 seconds. Pope was on anchor for second-placed Cougars (2:15.44), while Cedeno ran the final leg for Fyzabad Athletic Stars, the bronze medallists, in 2:21.99.

McKay, who triumphed on day one in the 100m, high jump and 4x100m events, ended the Championships with six gold medals.

Three times a runner-up to McKay yesterday, Pope had things all his own way in the 800m, the Cougars athlete winning the final in 2:15.11. Such was his dominance that Pope was able to wave to the crowd at the top of the home straight. His clubmate, Khaylon Antoine was a distant second in 2:24.32, with third spot going to Raheem Lockhart in 2:29.83.

Isaiah Clark added the boys' under-10 80m title to the 60m gold he had captured on Saturday. And again, Clark enjoyed the bonus of a new meet record. The ZC Athletics Sports Club athlete stopped the clock at 10.99 seconds, erasing Reyshawn Andrews' two-year-old 80m standard of 11.12 from the books. In a repeat of the 60m final, Giovanni Bobb-Semple (11.17) and Emmanuel James (11.35) secured silver and bronze, respectively.

Tyric Samuel also wrote his name into the record books, the Oasics athlete throwing 24.60m for gold in the boys' under-14 discus.

Natasha Fox of Point Fortin New Jets won the girls' under-14 800m title in 2:27.01, finishing ahead of Claudine Antoine (2:38.65) and Faith Deane (2:38.66). But in the 200m, Fox had to settle for bronze in 25.66 seconds, behind Shaniqua Bascombe of Cougars, the gold medallist in 25.12, and Kurlecia Francis (25.44).

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