Ralford Mullings sets new National Youth shot put record at NACAC Champs
Ralford Mullings set a new National Youth Record (NYR) 20.96m in the Under-18 boys’ shot put final and sprint hurdler Vashaun Vascianna won the gold medal on yesterday’s morning third session of the 10th NACAC Under-23 and Under-18 Championships in Quarertaro, Mexico.
Mullings, who also won the discus throw on Friday, broke the previous NYR 19.99m that he set while winning the Class Two event at the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Championships in late March as he led the medal winners in the third session.
Jamaica added six more medals to the 18 they won on Friday’s first day and were on 24 combined between the two age groups, and in third place behind hosts Mexico and the United States, the latter not fielding an Under-18 team in the three-day championships that ends today.
Jamaica were on 11 gold medals, including one late on Friday from Shanice Love, who set a new championship record of 60.14m in the Under-23 women’s discus throw, seven silver medals and six bronze.
Mexico had won 17 gold medals, 11 silver and 17 bronze for a total of 45, followed by the USA with 12 gold, 13 silver and one bronze.
The Bahamas had won two gold medals with Barbados and Trinidad winning one each.
Mullings dominated the Under-18 shot put with his massive heave and was well ahead of two Mexicans — Jose Arturo Olmos, who took the silver with 18.07m, and Jairo Jesus Espinosa with 17.57m.
On Friday, Mullings won the discus throw with a best mark of 62.34m, beating The Bahamas’ Tarajh Hudson with 56.74m and Mexico’s Julio Cesar Santos with 54.40m.
Vascianna and Jerome Campbell were first and second in the Under-18 boys’ 110m hurdles yesterday, the winner clocking a wind-aided 13.09 seconds (2.3m/s) with Campbell taking the bronze in 13.59 seconds, while Trinidad’s Justin Guy completed an English-speaking Caribbean medal podium, taking the bronze in 13.79 seconds.
Chevonne Hall was second in the Under-18 800m, running 1 minute 53.32 seconds for the silver medal, behind Canada’s Abdullahi Hassan, who took the gold with 1:52.48 minutes, and St Vincent’s Handal Roban was third in 1:53.39 minutes.
Jamaica’s Giovouni Henry was seventh in 1:57.09 minutes.
Two-time national champion Jauaveny James was third in the Under-23 800m final, running 1 minute 49.52 seconds behind two Americans, NCAA Division One championships runner-up Devin Dixon (1:47.69 minutes) and Isaiah Jewett (1:49.43 minutes).
Gabrielle Bailey took the bronze in the Under-23 women’s shot put with a best mark of 16.51m with the USA pair of Samantha Noennig (17.23m) and Alyssa Wilson (16.73m) taking the gold and silver medals, respectively.
On Friday night, Love smashed the three-year-old championships record of 57.20m set by Shelbi Vaughn with her big fling, nearly three metres better than the old mark.
American Laulauga Tausaga was also over the old mark with 59.37m for the silver, while Cuba’s Melany Del Pi Matheus took bronze with 55.40m and Bailey was fourth with 54.99m.
Jessica Noble was third in the Under-23 long jump with a best of 6.49m that she achieved twice in the competition.
American Aliyah Whisby won with a wind-aided 6.82m (2.8m/s) and her compatriot Jasmyn Steels took silver with 6.64m (2.3m/s).
Taishia Pryce, also from Jamaica, was fourth with 6.49m (3.6m/s).
There were also gold medals in the Under-18 boys’ high and long jump events. Romaine Beckford won the high jump with 2.14m ahead of Canada’s Aiden Grout with 2.08m and Mexico’s Xesus Jafet Jaime with 1.96m.
It was gold and silver in the long jump with Kavian Kerr winning with 7.66m (1.1m/s) ahead of Jordan Turner’s wind-aided 7.46m (2,3m/s) and Mexico’s Christopher Juarez with 6.88m (3.0m/s).