- CONTRIBUTED
Jamaica's Sherene Pinnock races towards the finish line to win the girls' Under-20 400m hurdles in 57.09 seconds on Friday's opening night of the XVII CAC Junior Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad. Pinnock's time bettered the previous mark of 57.84 set by Yusmelis Garcia of Cuba in 2002.
Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago:
JAMAICA WON three of four 400 metre sprint titles to stretch their lead atop the medal standings on yesterday's second and penultimate day of the XVII Central America and Caribbean Junior Track and Field Championships at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
At press time, Jamaica were way out front in the medal table with 24 - 13 gold, five silver and six bronze.
Sonita Sutherland broke the girls' Under-20 400m championship record on her way to victory in 51.57 ahead of teammate Bobbie-Gaye Wilkins (53.19). Sutherland, the 2004 World Junior silver medallist, identified teammate Wilkins as her only competition going into the final.
'BELOW PAR'
"I wanted to go faster, but I am happy with the time," said Sutherland, while hinting the 'below par' competition cost her a better time. I came here planning to run 50.9 (PR), but it just didn't work out that way," she added after breaking former teammate Sheryl Morgan's 52.81 four-year-old record.
Wilkins described her race as "very difficult" because she had to play catch-up with homegirl Janeil Bellilie, who finished third in 56.15.
In the boys' Under-17 division, Ramone McKenzie (47.59) defeated Kadeem Smith of St. Kitts and Nevis ( 48.70) and teammate Akino Ming (48.76) while Latoya McDermot took the girls' event in 54.10.
McKenzie said he was happy with his time, "because it was a PR (personal best). It was hectic, because for the start I was trembling in the blocks, but when I got out it just felt good."
McDermot said her usual race plan was applied.
"Lead the pack before I get tired, easy at the 200m mark and pick it up back into the straight," she said. "I came out here to win and that's what I did. I am quite happy with the time because I thought I it was a little slower."
Jamaica's Allodin Fothergill (46.17) and Edino Steele (46.29) finished second and third, respectively in the 400m for Under-20 boys. The event went to Renny Quow of Trinidad and Tobago (46.14).
NEW KID ON BLOCK
New kid on the block, Kittiany Clarke, took the girls' Under-20 100m hurdles in 13.60 seconds while Kimberly Laing ( 14.40) was fourth. Clarke expressed a little disappointment with her time.
"I wanted to PR today, but I didn't ... As long I got the gold I'm OK," said Clarke, who was representing Jamaica for the first time.
Clarke, a United States resident and student at University of South Carolina, said it felt good to represent the island.
Shermaine Williams finished second in the girls' Under-17 100m hurdles behind Barbados' Kierre Beckles, who won in 13.72 seconds. Williams, who got off to a perfect start, hit the third hurdle and lost her balance, which contributed to her second-place finish. She was timed in 13.79 seconds.
Williams' teammate at Alpha, Rosemarie Carty was third in 13.86 seconds.
