media_artricles :: 2017

St Fort, Smith, Elcock secure sprint double at Carifta Trials

Trinidad Guardian :: 13.03.2017

World Junior 100m bronze medallist Khalifa St Fort, Avindale Smith, Jerod Elcock and Tyriq Horsford lead a list of 40 local athletes that attained the Carifta standards set by the National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA) for the Carifta Games set for Willamsted, Curacao, from April 15-17.

St Fort (Unattached), Smith and Elcock, both of Abilene Wildcats, were double sprint champions while Zenith's Horsford led the qualifiers in the field events at the National Gas Company (NGC) Carifta Trials held over the weekend at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

On Sunday, the second and final day, St Fort captured the girls Under-20 200m title in 23.64 seconds to add the 100m crown she secured on Saturday. The 2016 Olympian dismissed the field and matched the time she ran in her victory at last year's Trials. She dipped under the 24.00 Carifta qualifying standard. Simplex's Shikyla Walcott was beaten into second place, as in the 100m, in 24.48 with St Fort's training partner Sarah Wollaston (Unattached) finishing in third (24.87).

Smith completed the boys U-18 sprint triumph after he took home the 200m in a personal best 21.24. The 15-year-old led a sweep of the top three places by his club-mates as 100m runner-up Adel Colthrust (21.69) and 400m winner Che Lara (21.88) were behind. All three were faster than the 22.05 standard.

Elcock added the 200m to his win in the boys U-20 100m. Elcock got the line in 21.24, matching the time of Smith in winning the U-18 class. Jalen Purcell (Simplex) followed Elcock in 21.40 in repeat of the top two finishes of the 100m. Elcock improved on his 21.35 clocking in the semifinals ahead of Purcell (21.36) as they were under the 21.40 standard on both occasions.

Smith and Elcock led the Wildcats boys dominance in sprints as the boys 100, 200m and 400m sprints all were won by Abilene. Che Lara (boys U-18) and Jacob St Clair (boys U-20) captured the one lap crowns for the Arima-based club.

Horsford, a two-time Carifta champion and record holder, secured the boys U-18 javelin with a top throw of 70.94m. All four of his legal efforts were better than the 59.00m standard and second place, his club-mate Kareem Peters, 53.46m. Horsford's Zenith club swept all the javelin events.

Odel Joefield took the boys U-20 event with a 58.32m ahead of another Zenith athlete Vandel Joseph 57.93). Both surpassed the 57.00m standard. On Saturday, Zenith's Kymoi Noray (girls U-18 javelin) and Asha James (girls U-20 javelin) also won with Carifta qualifying performances.

Key to note is that some of the participants had in previous meets achieved the qualifying standard. Safiya John (girls U-18 long jump) and Avindale Smith (boys U-18 400m), Judah Taylor (boys U-20 200m and Jacob Taylor (Abilene Wildcats) posted qualifying times before the trials. However, at the trials John did not achieve the standard in the long jump. Smith did not compete in the 400m, neither did Taylor and Jacob in the 200m.

The NAAA is expected to name a team later this week to compete in Barbados on the weekend before the final selection is made.

Making the standard

Girls

U-18: Akilah Lewis (Concorde)-100m, 200m; Ayla Stanislaus (Zenith)-100m, 200m; Deleth Charles (Memphis Pioneers) 100m, 200m; Caliyah Wallace (Cougars) 200m; Rae-Anne Serville (Memphis Pioneers) 200m, 400m; Joanna Rogers (Cougars) 400m; Patrice Richards (Neon Wolves) 400m; Cheziah Phillip (Toco Titans) 100m hurdles; Ianna Roach (Memphis Pioneers) shot put; Kymoi Noray (Zenith) G U-18 javelin

U-20: Khalifa St Fort (Unattached) 100m, 200m; Kieanne Blackman (Memphis Pioneers) discus; Asha James (Zenith) javelin; Akidah Briggs (Toco Titans) javelin.

Girls Open: Anya Akili (Kaizen Panthers) heptathlon; Safiya John (Kaizen Panthers) heptathlon; Antonia Sealy (Unattached) heptathlon; Mya Dumpson (Neon Wolves) heptathlon.

Boys

U-18: Avindale Smith (Abilene Wildcats) 100m, 200m; Adell Colthrust (Abilene Wildcats) 100m, 200m; Shakeel John (Concorde) 100m; Terry Frederick (Pt Fortin New Jets) 100m; Che Lara (Abilene Wildcats) 200m, 400m; Jaydon Antoine (Neon Wolves) high jump; Shaquille Benjamin (Kaizen Panthers) high jump; Randolph Isaac (Burnley) discus; Tyriq Horsford (Zenith) javelin.

U-20: Jerod Elcock (Abilene Wildcats) 200m; Julen Purcell (Simplex) 200m; Jacob St. Clair (Abilene Wildcats) 400m; Kashief King (Pt Fortin New Jets) 400m, Judah Taylor (Abilene Wildcats) 400m, Zidan Martin (IG Fastlane) 47.78, Jude Atwell (Pt.-a-Pierre) 110m hurdles; Konnel Jacob (Tobago Jaguars) shot put, discus; Isaiah Taylor (Abilene Wildcats) shot put; Clarence Hannibal (Tobago Falcons) discus; Odel Joelfield (Zenith) javelin; Vandel Joseph (Zenith) javelin.

Open: Kerlon Asbhy (Kaizen Panthers) octathlon

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