Smikle, Salmon, Hudson win gold medals at NACAC Champs

Jamaica won 12 medals on yesterday’s final day of the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Senior Championship in Freeport, Bahamas, to add to the 12 they won on the previous two days.

Traves Smikle, Shiann Salmon, and Andrew Hudson sparkled on the final day with gold in the men’s discus, women’s 400 metres hurdles, and men’s 200 metres, respectively.

Hudson clocked 19.87 seconds to take the men’s sprint event ahead of the American pair of Kyree King (20.00), Josephus Lyles (20.18). Jazeel Murphy finished fifth in 20.92.

Smikle and Fedrick Dacres took gold and silver for Jamaica in men’s discus. Smikle topped the field with a throw of 62.89m. Dacres followed with a throw of 62.79m, while Torres Alberto Diaz of Cuba was third with a throw of 62.13m.

In the women’s 400m hurdles final, Salmon stopped the clock at 54.22 seconds for gold ahead of teammate Janieve Russell, who claimed silver with 54.87. American Cassandra Tate was third in 55.62.

Meanwhile, Tajay Gayle, who, like Dacres, was hampered by injury at the Olympics and World Championships and was doubtful for this championship, took the silver medal in the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.81m. He was second to Willam Williams of the United States, who won the event with 7.89m. Another Jamaican, Shawn-D Thompson, was third with 7.75m.

Adelle Tracey also added a silver in the women’s 1500m, denying the United States a one, two finish.

She finished behind Heather Maclean, who won in 4:04.53, and ahead of Helen Schlachtenhaufen in 4:10.43.

In the relays, Jamaica was second in both the men and women’s 4×400m behind the United States.

The women’s team clocked 3:26.32 for their silver medal behind the United States’ 3:23.54. Only two teams competed.

In the men’s 4x400m, Jamaica clocked 3:05.47 as the United States won in 3:01.79.

Jamaica also took bronze in both 4x100m relays. In the women’s 4x100m, Jamaica clocked 43.39 seconds behind the United States (42.35) and Bahamas, 43.34.

The men clocked 38.94 for their bronze medal, with the United States winning in 38.29 and silver medalist Trinidad and Tobago clocking the same time as Jamaica.

Meanwhile, Natalliah Whyte finished outside of the medals in the women’s 200m, clocking 22.65 for a fourth-place finish behind the American, Britanny Brown (22.35), Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas (22.41), and A’keyla Mitchell of the United States, 22.53. Jamaica’s Ashley Williams was fifth in 23.75

Jamaica’s Lloydrecia Cameron was also fourth in the women’s shot put with a throw of 16.42m. The event went to Sarah Mitton of Canada with 20.15m with Americans Jessica Woodard (18.82m) and Jessica Ramsey (18.74m) pocketing silver and bronze, respectively.