Hill will be missed at Carifta Games, says coach Bennett

Head coach Corey Bennett says the absence of World Under-18 100 metres hurdles record holder Kerrica Hill from the country's team at the Carifta Games is a major miss.

Hill, a student at Hydel High School, failed to make the national team after finishing third and fourth in the Under-20 100m hurdles and 100m events, respectively, at the Carifta Trials.

Only the top two finishers from each event were selected to present the country at the championships.

Bennett said that Hill has been in excellent form since her disappointing runs at the Carifta Trials, and therefore she would have been a huge asset for the national team at the Games.

“Yes, I think she will be missed but I think we have a lot of other capable athletes that can put on a good showing for us,” said Bennett, who is also the head coach of Hydel.

“She was expected to be here, but unfortunately she is not but fortunately she was able to get herself together to put on a good showing at Champs,” he said.

Hill, who was the favourite to win the 100m hurdles event at the Carifta Trials, hit a number of early hurdles in the final and did not recover as she lost her stride pattern and composure.

Despite having the fastest time going into the 100m final, she finished fourth in the event.

However a week later, Hill returned to shatter the World Under-18 100m hurdles record at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships with a time of 12.71 seconds in the Class Two event. The previous World Under-18 mark, 12.91, was held by Jamaica's Ackera Nugent.

Bennett added that he expects Hill to return much stronger and faster for the World Under-20 Championships, which will be held in Cali, Colombia, in August.

"However, hopefully she can keep it together for the World Under-20 Championships in the summer and put on a good performance for the country there,” Bennett said. “Sometimes out of a disappointment comes something good and you saw what happened at Champs.”