Western Ja’s athletes shine at CARIFTA
MONTEGO BAY, St James — NEWCOMERS Okeen Williams and Chantai Smith of St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) and Cornwall College’s Ricardo McKenzie all won individual gold medals at last weekend’s 41st Lime CARIFTA Games held in Bermuda.
Seven western-based athletes combined for six individual medals — four gold and two silver.
Smith and Williams also helped Jamaica to win another three relay gold medals and a silver as the country romped to a 28th consecutive win at the three-day regional championships.
Jamaica won 78 medals — 34 gold, 25 silver and 19 bronze — the second highest ever medal haul, after winning 84 in 2004 at the event staged in Trinidad.
After winning the Under-17 boys 400m hurdles in 53.15 seconds, Williams helped the 4x100m relay team take the gold medal before being part of the 4x400m team on Monday to set a new championships record 3:14.52 seconds.
Smith won the Under 17 girls 1500m in 4:51.36 seconds; took the silver in the 800m behind teammate Tiffany James, then showed off her speed by helping the Under-17 girls 4x400m relay take gold.
McKenzie became the first athlete from Cornwall College to win a gold medal at the event when he took the gold in the Under-17 boys 800m on Sunday in 2:02.73 seconds just holding off teammate Orville Dixon, as Jamaicans dominated the middle distance events.
Other Cornwall College runners to win medals at the CARIFTA Games are Barrington ‘Boca’ Campbell who won a bronze medal in the 3000m Open in 1975 and Lesley Allen, the winner of the silver medal in the Under-17 boys 400m in 1983.
Alethia McLaughlin was also an individual winner last weekend, as she won the 3000m Open in 10:16.80 seconds, while Munro College’s Emmanuel Onyia won a silver medal in the Under-20 boys shot put. His teammate Ashinia Miller took the gold.
IAAF World Youth Championships 100m gold medallist Odail Todd was restricted to running just the Under 20 boys 4x100m where he won a silver medal.
Meanwhile, defending champion Peta-gay Reid finished fourth in the Under-20 girls high jump with just 1.78m.
