The Jamaican track and field team dominated the eighth staging of the Carifta games held at the National Stadium. Fifteen records were broken over the three days. Jamaicans were either first place or between first and third, securing the medals.

Published Monday, April 23, 1979

JAMAICA ROMP CARIFTA GAMES

-JON JONES STARS WITH FOUR GOLD

Gleaner Sports Reporter

THE BLACK, GREEN, AND GOLD COLOURS OF Jamaica stood out as champions for the seventh time when they took 50 medals at the end of the Eighth Junior CARIFTA Track and Field  Championships last night at the National Stadium.

Although The Bahamas finished second to Jamaica with 30 medals, their best haul since the Games, they were the only other country that could match the champions.

Fifteen  records were broken over the three days of keen competition, and three new records were established. Jamaica’s Jon Jones became the star of the meet as his performance earned him four medals, including two records in the process as he emerged the most outstanding athlete of the meet.

Desmond Morris, Jamaica’s top high jumper, although not fully extended, set a new Games record with a height of 6ft 10inches, erasing the old mark of 6ft 6inches, which was jointly held by three Jamaicans - Owen Cunningham, Clive Barriffe, Morris and Byron Wilson - and the Trinidadian Laid McLean.

Apart from Jamaica and The Bahamas, the other medal-winning countries were Bermuda (five gold, four silver, and seven bronze); Trinidad and Tobago (four gold, three silver, and eight bronze); Barbados (four gold, three silver  and five bronze); Guadeloupe (one gold and three bronze); and Antigua with two silvers.

The strong Bahamian team climaxed the three-day championships by capturing both the Boys and Girls' 4x400 meters relays in addition to the Girls' 4x100 relays, while running second to Jamaica in the Boys' 4x100 metres relay to avoid making a clean sweep.

Yesterday afternoon, the Game got under way with sunshine for the first time.

New Records

The first event, the Boys' Under-17 Triple Jump saw Jamaica gaining another gold medal with the brilliant Jon "John” Jones leaping 48ft 51/4 inches to erase the old mark of 47ft 6¼ inches set by Norbert Eliliott of The Bahamas last year inTthe Bahamas. The second was L. Benjamin of  Antigua. 47ft. 2½ inches (14.37 metres); and the third was Leonard Fraser of Jamaica with 46ft 2½ inches (14.38).

Jones was winning his third gold of the meet, having taken the under-17 long jump with another record jump, and the 200 meters.

Bahamas' Earl Hamilton established a record in the Boys' Under-17 Shot Put with a throw of 48ft 9¼ inches. Scond was S. Daley of Jamaica 47ft, and third was  W. Furbert of Bermuda with 31ft 6½ inches.

Jamaica maintained their superiority in the track and field events, and the next gold came in the Girls' Under-20 Long Jump. Audrey Llewelyn Hunter of Jamaica won with 18ft 7 inches; Alison Jones of Jamaica second, with 18 4 ½ inches; and A. Riley of Barbados third, with 17ft 4 inches.

Marian Higg of Bahamas won the Girls' Under-20 400b metres in a record-breaking time of  53.58 secs, beating Jamaica’s Jacqueline Pusey’s 1977 record of 54.00. Oracle Fowler of The Bahamas came second in 54.88 secs, and Fredericks Wright of Jamaica was third in 54.9 seconds.

After 51 finals, Jamaica were well on the way to retaining the Championships as they continued to pile medals after medals  either taking the first place or first and second, first and third, or second and third. With the local team well clear of their nearest rival BAHAMAS with 22 medals and the meet already being decided with Jamaica being the winners with a total of 37 medals including 14 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze.

The Jamaica duo of Gilbert Dunkley and Barrington Minott took the first two places in the Boy’s Under-20, 5000 meters. Dunkley ran a very intelligent race after trailing in fifth position from pace setter W. Ferdinand of Trinidad and Tobago, who had quite a good lead. However, with about 250 metres to go, Dunkley moved down quickly on Ferdinand and overtook at the 100 metres turn, winning very easily in 8 mins, 54.6 secs, while Minott swept past the Trinidadianto take second position in 8.57 secs as Ferdinand finished third in 9 mins. 00.7.

The Boys' Under-20 1500 meters was won by William Johnson in a record time of 3.51 24 seconds from Byron Francis of Jamaica in 3 mins. 58.79 secs, and third was A. Parkin of Bermuda 4 mins. 04.7 secs. Jamaica's Fenton Hugg won his second gold medal when he captured the Boys' Under-17 400 metres event in 50.08 secs, erasing the old mark of 50.8 secs set by Dennis Walker of Jamaica last year in The Bahamas.

Another record came in the Girls' Under-20 1500 metrea when Margaret Williams of Jamaica won in a new time of 4 mins. 43.6 to break the previous beat time of 4 min. 46 secs. Third was G. Smith of Bermuda in 4 mins 51.4 secs.

Jon “John” Jones of Jamaica won his fourth gold medal, winning the Boys' Under-17 100 metres in 10.97 seconds from Kenneth Thompson, also of Jamaica, in 11.05 secs and third, R. Pithier of Trinidad and Tobago in 11.24 secs.

In the Girls' Under-17 100 metres, Candy Forde of Bermuda took the sprint double, winning first the 200 and the 100 in 11.97 secs from Winsome Darby of Jamaica, 12.05 secs, and third, J. Gardener of Trinidad and Tobago, 12.19 secs.

Other medal winners on the previous night were Michael Johnson of Jamaica, winning the gold medal in the Under-20 Boys’ Pole Vault with a winning height of 12ft (3.65m) from Clyde McGregor  also of Jamaica, second with 11 ft  6 inches (3.10), taking the bronze.

Trinidad and Tobago's gold medal came in the Boys' Under-20 Discuss with J. Dedier with a winning throw of 158ft 2 inches from D. Horshana of Jamaica, second with 157ft 8 inches, and third went to B. Alleyne of Trinidad and Tobago with 148ft.

Gold for Jamaica was won by Dwight Davis in the Boys' Under-20 Long Jump with 17ft 3 ¾ inches from Philips of Bermuda, 23ft 2 inches. S. Durbam of Bermuda won the Girls' Under-17 Long Jump with 17ft 3 ¾ inches from H. Smith of Jamaica, 17ft 9 inches, and Debbie Green of The Bahamas, third, 17ft 4inches.

Lynette Antoinette of The Bahamas captured the Girls' Under-20 Shot Put with a throw of 12.95 metres from S. Smith of Bermuda, 12.61 meters, and M. Manet of Guadeloupe, third, with 11.25 metres.

The Boys' Under-20, 200 metres went to Eric Berrie from Fabian Whymms of The Bahamas, 21.67, and George Walcott of Jamaica ,third in 21.74 secs.

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