The Bahamas’ junior athletics program is alive and well, producing fantastic results at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-18 (U18), Under-20 (U20) and Under-23 (U23) Championships at the National Stadium of Costa Rica in San José, Costa Rica, over the Independence Day weekend.
The young Bahamian athletes certainly gave the country something to cheer about as a 35-member team collected 42 medals, turned in personal best and national record setting times and distances, and displayed their talents against the region’s best. The Bahamas finished third in the medal standings, trailing just Jamaica and host nation Costa Rica who were represented by 61 and 64 athletes, respectively.
Jamaica won the three-day meet with 67 total medals – 39 gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze. Costa Rica was second with 62 total medals – 19 gold, 20 silver and 23 bronze medals. The Bahamas was represented by about half as many athletes as Jamaica and Costa, but were still competitive, finishing with 42 total medals 17 gold, 18 silver and seven bronze.
The United States, Canada, Mexico and Cuba didn’t participate, citing health and safety reasons for the most part.
Throwers took center stage as they led by example in the first session on Friday, collecting three early medals for The Bahamas.
In the under-20 boys discus, Tarajh Hudson struck gold for The Bahamas, tossing the device 52.45 meters (m) – 172’ 1”. Yoshua Fabricio Villafuerte, of Costa Rica, was second with a throw of 48.71m (159’ 9”) and Jean Cerrud Torres, of Panama, won the bronze medal with a toss of 38.75m (127’ 1”).
Hudson came right back in the under-20 boys shot put later in the day and won gold again, turning in a throw of 15.93m (52’ 3-1/4”). Villafuerte was second with a throw of 15.12m (49’ 7-1/4”) and Torres once again won the bronze, turning in a throw of 14.40m (47’ 3”).
In the under-23 women’s discus on Friday, Acacia Astwood won a silver medal with a toss of 36.78m (120’ 8”). Lacee Barnes, of the Cayman Islands, took gold with a toss of 47.34m (155’ 4”), and Tania Priscila Sevilla Miranda, of Costa Rica, captured the bronze with a toss of 33.32m (109’ 4”).
Astwood came back and won gold in the under-23 women’s hammer with a toss of 51.22m (168’). Lindsay Gabriela Reyes Gutierrez, of Costa Rica, won the silver medal with a toss of 45.62m (149’ 8”).
In the under-18 boys discus, Kaden Cartwright won the bronze medal with a toss of 38.65m (126’ 9”). Zachary Campbell, of Jamaica, was the gold medalist, finishing with a throw of 54m flat (177’ 2”), and Jeims Molina Alvarez, of Costa Rica, won the silver medal with a toss of 40.59m (133’ 2”).
Keyshawn Strachan continues to improve in the javelin. He broke the junior and senior national records again, posting a throw of 72.13m (236’ 8”) in the under-23 boys division. He finished with the silver medal. Winning that event was Tyriq Horsford, of Trinidad And Tobago, with a toss of 73.06m (239’ 8”). Armando Caballero Espinosa, of Panama, was third with a throw of 63.50m (208’ 4”).
In the under-18 boys version of that event, The Bahamas won gold and silver. Nathaniel Zervos broke the NACAC under-18 boys record, turning in a toss of 67.96m (222’ 11”). Cartwright was second with a throw of 57.76m (189’ 6”) and Marlon Sathoo, of the Cayman Islands, won the bronze medal with a toss of 49.30m (161’ 9”).
In the under-20 girls version of that event, Rhema Otabor broke her own junior national record of 54.19m (177’ 9”), turning in a toss of 55.06m (180’ 7”) for the gold medal. Her teammate, Carnitra Mackey, won the silver medal with a toss of 41.31m (135’ 6”). Mackey came back in the under-20 girls shot put and won gold with a toss of 12.56m (41’ 2-1/2”).
Finishing up the field events on Friday, The Bahamas finished third and fourth in the under-18 girls discus and had a couple of near medal performances in the under-18 boys triple jump. In the former, Calea Jackson won the bronze with a throw of 41.03m (134’ 7”) and Anne-Marie Oriakhi finished fourth with a toss of 38.68m (126’ 11”). Cedricka Williams, of Jamaica, won the gold medal with an NACAC under-18 girls record toss of 45.37m (148’ 10”). Her teammate Britannia Johnson was second with a toss of 43.59m (143’). In the latter, Brandon Hutchinson was fourth with a best jump of 14.30m (46’ 11”). Stephan Farquharson finished fifth with a best jump of 13.67m (44’ 10-1/4”). Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert won the gold medal with an NACAC under-18 boys record jump of 16.02m (52’ 6-3/4”). His teammate Javar Thomas was second with a jump of 14.89m (48’ 10-1/4”). Fernando Manuel Reyes Melgar, of El Salvador, won the bronze medal with a jump of 14.34m (47’ 0-3/4”).
Jackson and Oriakhi were fifth and sixth in the under-18 girls shot put. Jackson had a best throw of 11.87m (38’ 11-1/4”) and Oriakhi turned in a best throw of 11.79m (38’ 8-1/4”). Jamaicans Britannia and Britannie Johnson finished first and second with throws of 14.33m (47’ 0-1/4”) and 13.94m (45’ 8-1/4”), respectively. Palesa Caesar, of the British Virgin Islands, won the bronze medal with a toss of 12.89m (42’ 3-1/2”). Sophie Gabriela Pérez González, of Guatemala, finished fourth with a toss of 12.46m (40’ 10-1/2”).
On the track on Friday, Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones was just off the personal best time in the 100m that he ran at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium three weekends ago, but still won the gold, crossing the finish line in 10.47 seconds. Nazzio John, of Grenada, was second in 10.62 seconds, and Alejandro Antonio Ricketts Martinez, of Costa Rica, won the bronze in 10.69 seconds. Bahamian Demetrius Rolle finished fourth in 10.95 seconds.
Jones came back in the under-20 boys 200m on Sunday and was second in a fantastic duel with fellow Bahamian Wanya McCoy, crossing the finish line in 21.18. McCoy outleaned him at the tape, winning the gold in 21.17 seconds. Sandrey Alex Davison, of Jamaica, finished third in 21.34 seconds.
McCoy also took the under-20 boys 400m, winning in 48.34 seconds. Handal Roban, of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, finished second in 48.97 seconds, and Jose Andres Hernandez, of Costa Rica, finished third in 50.22 seconds.
In the under-20 girls 100m, Camille Rutherford won in 11.36 seconds. Leah Bertrand, of Trinidad and Tobago, was second in 11.70 seconds, and Joella Lloyd, of Antigua & Barbuda, rounded out the top three. She was also timed in 11.70 seconds but lost the silver in a photo finish.
Rutherford was an individual double gold medalist as she also took the 200m, winning in 23.42 seconds. Lloyd was second in 23.55 seconds, and Alliyah Francis, of Jamaica, rounded out the top three in 24.32 seconds.
Denisha Cartwright was third in the under-23 women’s 100m, finishing in 11.91 seconds. Halle Hazzard, of Grenada, won the gold medal in 11.42 seconds, and Amya Clarke, of St. Kitts and Nevis, was second in 11.90 seconds.
The Bahamas finished fourth and fifth in the under-18 boys 100m as Mateo Smith crossed the finish line in 10.77 seconds and Adam Musgrove finished in 10.97 seconds. Jamaican Alicke Cranston won in an NACAC under-18 boys record of 10.42 seconds; Ajani Daley, of Antigua & Barbuda, was second in 10.68 seconds; and Kyle Lawrence, of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, rounded out the top three in 10.71 seconds.
The Bahamas was also fourth and fifth in the under-18 girls 100m as Shavantae Roberts was fourth in 11.90 seconds and Paige Archer finished fifth in 12.39 seconds. Jamaicans Tina Clayton and Serena Cole were first and second in times of 11.17 and 11.52 seconds, respectively. Mariandré Chacón Aroche, of Guatemala, rounded out the top three in 11.81 seconds.
Archer was fourth in the under-18 girls 200m, finishing in 24.69 seconds. Her teammate Lacarthea Cooper was third, crossing the finish line in 24.09 seconds. Jamaican Alana Reid won the gold medal in an NACAC under-18 girls record of 23.78 seconds, and Aroche was second in 24.06 seconds.
In the under-18 boys version of that race, Shimar Bain was third in 21.65 seconds and Shamar Smith was fifth in 22.06 seconds. Cranston won in 20.74 seconds and his teammate Orlando Wint was second in 21.10 seconds. Daley was fourth in 21.75 seconds.
Bain also won silver in the under-18 boys 400m hurdles, crossing the finish line in 53.39 seconds. Lavardo Deveaux was fourth in that race, finishing in 59.11 seconds. Jamaican Roshawn Clarke won in an NACAC under-18 boys record of 51.95 seconds. His teammate Shamer Blake was third in 55.20 seconds.
In the under-18 girls version of that race, Bahamian Kasha Neilly was second in 1:05.26. Alliah Baker, of Jamaica, won in an NACAC under-18 girls record of 1:03.36, and Maryell Shantell Garcia Bustillo, of Costa Rica, was third in 1:10.02.
In the under-18 boys 400m, Smith was third for The Bahamas, crossing the finish line in 49.83 seconds. Delano Kennedy, of Jamaica, won in 47.75 seconds, and his
teammate Tahj Hamm was second in 48.38 seconds.
In the under-18 girls version of that race, it was a 1-2 finish for The Bahamas as Javoyna Valcourt won in 56.15 seconds and Cooper was second in 56.53 seconds. Oneika Brissett, of Jamaica, finished third in 57.43 seconds.
Jasmaine Knowles struck gold for The Bahamas in the under-20 girls 800m, winning in 2:15.25. Maria Nellys Chaves Madrigal, of Costa Rica, was second in 2:30.82.
Charisma Taylor won gold for The Bahamas in the under-23 women’s triple jump, finishing with a leap of 13.22m (43’ 4-1/2”). Mikeisha Welcome, of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, was second with a leap of 13.16m (43’ 2-1/4”). Taylor also won a silver medal in the under-23 women’s 100m hurdles, finishing in 13.88 seconds. Bahamian Sasha Wells was third in that race in 13.94 seconds. Jamaican Daszay Freeman won in 13.80 seconds.
The Bahamas finished first and second in the under-20 boys version of that race with Antoine Andrews winning in 14.27 seconds. Alton Roker was second in 15.26 seconds.
In the under-18 boys version of that race, Otto Laing won a silver medal for The Bahamas, finishing in 13.82 seconds. Jamaican Andre Harris won in 13.78 seconds, and his teammate Shamer Blake was third in 14.08 seconds.
Shaun Miller won gold for The Bahamas in the under-20 boys high jump, clearing a personal best 2.21m (7’ 3”). Kyle Alcine was second for The Bahamas, clearing 2.15m (7’ 0-1/2”). Byron Yoel Villalobos Clark, of Costa Rica, finished third with a height of 1.95m (6’ 4-3/4”).
In the under-18 boys high jump, Stephan Farquharson failed to register a mark for The Bahamas. Jamaican Aaron McKenzie won with a clearance of 2.01m (6’ 7”); his teammate Brandon Pottinger was second with a height of 1.98m (6’ 6”); and Alonzo Gaitan Rivas, of Panama, finished third with a height of 1.80m (5’ 10-3/4”).
The Bahamas was fourth and fifth in the under-18 boys long jump with Mateo Smith finishing with a best jump of 7.01m (23’) and Zachary Evans turning in a best jump of 6.99m (22’ 11-1/4”). Uroy Ryan, of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, won with a leap of 7.40m (24’ 3-1/2”) and Jamaicans Jaydon Hibbert and Javar Thomas were second and third with jumps of 7.31m (24’) and 7.14m (23’ 5-1/4”), respectively.
In the under-18 girls 4x100m relay, The Bahamas’ team of Shavantae Roberts, Lacarthea Cooper, Javoyna Walcourt and Paige Archer, finished second in 47.27 seconds. Jamaica won in 45.49 seconds, The Bahamas was second, and Costa Rica finished third in 50.70 seconds.
The Bahamas was also second in the under-18 boys 4x100m relay. The team of Adam Musgrove, Shamar Smith, Shimar Bain and Mateo Smith crossed the finish line in 42.10 seconds. Jamaica won in an NACAC under-18 boys record of 40.60 seconds. Costa Rica was once again third, finishing in 44.13 seconds.
The Bahamas’ team of Antoine Andrews, Wanya McCoy, Demetrius Rolle and Terrence Jones, won the under-20 boys 4x100m relay, finishing in 41.68 seconds. Costa Rica was second in 43.17 seconds.
Finally, The Bahamas won a pair of silver medals in the mixed relays. In the under-18 race, the team of Shimar Bain, Lacarthea Cooper, Javoyna Walcourt and Shamar Smith, crossed the finish line in 3:27.73. Jamaica won the gold in 3:25.27. Costa Rica finished third in 3:45.26. The Bahamas’ under-23 team of Sasha Wells, Shaun Miller, Charisma Taylor and Kyle Alcine, crossed the finish line in 3:41.69 for the silver medal. Jamaica won in 3:20.71.
The team was sponsored by J.S. Johnson Co. Ltd. at the platinum level and silver sponsors Original Patties, Equity Bank and Trust Bahamas Ltd.
Young Bahamian athletes are now looking forward to the World Athletics (WA) World Under-20 Championships, which is set for August 17-22, at the Nyayo Sports Complex in Nairobi, Kenya.
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