Heat, wind, highlight first day of junior trial

In blistering heat, almost equally oppressive wind, and thick smog, Jamaica's junior and youth athletes were compelled to give of their best on day one of the two-day Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Junior Championships at the National Stadium yesterday.

So hot it was that the girls' under-20 3000m and boys' under-20 5000m, which had been scheduled for 10:30 in the morning, were postponed until after 5 p.m. at the conclusion of the 100m sprints.

Carifta Games champion St Jago's Kimone Shaw continued her three-year power march in the 100m, producing a run for which her competitors could find no answer as she won the under-18 100m in a time of 11.81 seconds.

false start

Venisha Pusey of Green Island was second in 11.97, while Edwin Allen's Shellece Clarke logged 11.99.

In the boys' event, Xavior Angus of Calabar bolted to the line in 10.79 seconds, trailed by André  Morrison of St Jago in 10.88, and Ashanie Smith of St Catherine in 10.94.

Calabar's Xandre Blake was unstoppable in the under-20 boys' 100m, surviving a false start from St Jago's Jordan Chin to blaze to victory in 10.46 into a headwind of -1.7mps and upsetting the favoured Shivnarine Smalling of Kingston College in 10.59, with Hujaye Cornwall of STETHS third in 10.67.

Sashalee Forbes emerged from mid-field to win the under-20 girls' 100m in 11.71 seconds ahead of her Holmwood Technical teammate Ashley Williams in 11.86, and Kimone Hines of Green Island in 12.06 seconds.

The boys' 400m hurdles, minus, the attraction of the now-senior Jaheel Hyde, proved dramatic in its own right.

St Elizabeth Technical's Marvin Williams, who won the event at the 2013 World Youth Champion-ships in Donetsk, Ukraine, continued his dominance to win the under-20 boys' race.

Munro's Duran Crooks fell dramatically over the seventh hurdle and failed to finish.

Williams won in 51.80 seconds ahead of Calabar's Xavier Lawrence 54.47 seconds.

The under-18 race went to Leonardo Ledgister in 52.37; with his teammate Jauvauney James of St Elizabeth Technical, in 52.98; and Timor Barrett of St Jago third in 53.17

The girls' 400m hurdles was split between four athletes as only two athletes each competed in the finals of the under-18 and under-20 races.

The under-18 girls' 400m hurdles was won by Janelle Bromfield of STETHS, 59.94; with Shian Salmon, 1:03.95,

following her to the line.

The under-20 girls' equivalent went to Shannon Kalawan of Edwin Allen in 1:01.57, and Jonel Lacey of Holmwood 1:03.34 was second.

In the field, Shanice Love of Excelsior threw 48.22m to win the under-20 girls' discus ahead of Ardenne's Venique Harris; 41.45m, and Tavia Dixon of Spalding, 33.85m.

Holmwood's Tamara Moncreiffe hopped, skipped, and jumped 12.92m to win the two competitors triple jump ahead of Shanique Wright of Manchester with 12.62m.

Finals for today include the boys and girls' under-18 and under-20 400m, 1500m, and boys' pentathlon events.

Kyle Pinnock of Rusea's leads the pentathlon with 658 points after throwing 63.67m to win the ball throw. Mekale Gordon of Our Lady of the Angels Prep school was in second with 571 points followed by Nickoy Chin of Rusea's with 518 points.