Clarendon’s Young wins U17 shot put at Carifta Trials

Jamelia Young of Clarendon College won the first final on the opening day of the Carifta Trials at the National Stadium yesterday as several of the best local junior athletes started their bid for spots on the Jamaican squad for the 2024 Carifta Games in Grenada.

Young topped the girls’ under-17 shot put with a best throw of 13.33 metres. She was the only athlete to go past the 13m barrier on the night as second place went to Abigail Bennett of Merl Grove High, whose best effort was 12.24m. St Jago High’s Jessica Thompson finished third with 11.10m.

St Jago’s Kimeka Smith won the girls’ under-20 shot put event with 13.63m with Altonique James of Excelsior High second with a throw of 13.04m. Hydel High’s Natasha Burrell rounded off the podium positions with a throw of 12.87m.

Also on the night, Patrick Brown of St Jago High and Selethel Johnson of Munro College had a big showdown in the boys’ under-17 high jump. Both athletes cleared a final height of 1.95m. However, Brown was given the title as he had the fewest failed attempts throughout the competition. Tejahni Haynes of Kingston College was third with 1.85m.

On the track in the girls’ under-17 400m preliminaries, Hydel’s Nastassia Fletcher was the day’s fastest qualifier when she clocked 55.46 second ahead of Holmwood Technical’s Britannia Bailer, 55.59. Tresha-Lee Sutherland of Clarendon College rounded out the event’s top three with her time of 56.07.

Foga Road High’s Paul Henry led the way in the boys’ under-17 400m preliminaries as he was the only athlete to dip below the 49-second barrier on route to the finals in a time of 48.58. Henry won heat two easily and finished ahead of his teammate Denzel Carter, 49.48.

Ardenne High’s Zachary Rowe was the second-fastest qualifier with 49.19 while reigning Carifta under-17 champion Nickecoy Bramwell of Calabar High strolled to an easy 49.63 to book his spot in the final.

In the girls’ under-20 400m preliminaries, St Elizabeth Technical’s Shanque Williams took charge when her time of 54.09 placed her first ahead of the pack, followed closely by Abigail Campbell of Hydel with 54.42s. Kellyann Carr of Edwin Allen was the third-fastest qualifier in 54.69.

The Carifta Trials meet continues today at the National Stadium with the first scheduled event being the 400m hurdles preliminaries on the track while the discus throw events will be in the field. The meet is set to start at 11 a.m. and will run through to 6 p.m. ending with the 100m finals.