Fine performances at JAAA/Puma Development Meet
There were a number of fine performances but only three records broken as various athletes opened their season at the 34th staging of the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA)/PUMA Development Meet at Kirkvine Sports Club last Saturday.
Kevon Stone of Petersfield was the highlight of the meet after clocking a dazzling 50.80 seconds to win the boys’ Class Two 400-metre dash.
The 15-year-old erased the old meet record of 51.00 seconds set by Chadayne Walker of Kingston College set in 2012, to top the field ahead of Jevaughn Powell (51.40secs) of Edwin Allen and Petersfield teammate Sean Kalawan (51.60secs).
Stacy-Ann Williams of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) topped the girls’ equivalent with a time of 58.48 seconds, ahead of Shanamarie Staple (58.69sec) of Lacovia High and St Jago’s Lavaun Stephenson.
Stone had earlier finished second in the boys’ 200-metre dash with a time of 21.86 seconds behind winner Roshaun Rowe of Kingston College, who clocked in at 21.70 seconds, running in a negative wind speed 0.4 metres per second. Yashawn Hamilton also of Kingston College was third in 22.13 seconds.
The girls’ equivalent was won by Daszay Freeman of Manchester High, who clocked in at 23.78 seconds, ahead of Edwin Allen’s Shellece Clark (24.76sec) and Christine Irving (24.77sec) of Holmwood Technical.
The girls’ Class One event was won by Patrice Moodie of Edwin Allen in 23.93 seconds, followed by Shanta Deer (24.24sec) of Holmwood Technical and former Hydel top quarter-miler Alesha Kelly (24.33sec) now sporting the colours of St Jago.
Nigel Ellis of St Elizabeth Technical also showed good early season form with a comfortable 21.37-second clocking to win the boys’ Class One event in a negative wind speed of 0.3 metres per second. He won ahead of the smooth-striding Bonanza Cummings (21.43sec) of Herbert Morrison and Orlando Fisher (21.49sec) of Green Pond High.
Meanwhile, Bethany Bridge led a sweep for Edwin Allen in the girls’ Class Four event as she, too, placed her name in the record books.
Bridge clocked 24.30 seconds, while running in a negative wind speed of 0.7 metres per second to pull down the old mark of 24.73 seconds set in 2011 by Satanya Wright of STETHS. She was followed by teammates Salieci Myles (25.01sec) and Patreece Clarke (25.17sec).
The Women’s Open 200-metre dash was won in fine style by Samantha Curtis of GC Foster College, who lowered the old meet mark of 24.27 seconds set jointly by Mellissa Wallace and Judith Riley, both of Swept Track Club in 2011.
Running in 0.5 metres per second negative wind speed, Curtis streaked to the line in 24.05 seconds to win ahead of Donya Ewers (24.33sec) of University of Technology (UTech) and GC Foster teammate Natasha Russell (24.71sec).
In the men’s equivalent, Travane Morrison of UTech clocked 21.14 seconds in a negative 2.7 metres-per-second wind speed to equal the meet record set by Darrel Garwood of UTech/MVP in 2011. Javon Gray (21.42sec) of GC Foster was second and Andre Peart (21.90sec) of MVP third.
In the boys’ Class Two 800 metres, Dwight Mason of STETHS just failed to beat the record 2:04.00 minutes by eight hundredth of a second when he clocked in 2:04.08 minutes to win the event.
Brittney Campbell of Holmwood Technical won the girls’ Class Two event in 2:21.74 minutes, while Shannon Kalawan of Edwin Allen took the girls’ Class One equivalent in 2:22.42 minutes. Ageria Jackson of Christiana won the boys’ Class One event in 2:02.26 minutes.