The future for field events continues to grow brighter. Our young athletes clad in our black, green and gold are doing excellent jobs at embellishing the gold on our flags. This was proven as we recently equaled our second-best medal count at the Pan-American Under-20 Championships (17 medals — three gold, seven silver, and seven bronze). What was even more spectacular for me was the number of field events we received medals in. 

Fighting injuries and several setbacks, our Junior athletes fought valiantly to make us proud. Even fans that travelled to San Jose had their doubts. Quick side note … travelling to Puerto Rico and have doubts… no way San Jose! Despite all the naysayers, we came through. Our track athletes did as great as expected, but let me just take some time to highlight the field event performances.

Terrol Wilson hop stepped and jumped his way to a bronze medal in the men’s triple jump. Apolos Edwards also came ninth in the triple jump (15.46m). What was also exciting to see was that we did do well in the middle distance track events too (the other bronze medals came from the women’s 4x400m team and Rovane Williams in the men’s 400m hurdles). Daniella Deer, Shaqueena Foote, Lashanna Graham, and Kavia Francis blazed their way to a time of 3:33.34 minutes. Coming third is quite an achievement especially when they lost to a World Record time of 3:24.04 minutes!

The field feels don’t just end there. Cobe Graham flung his way to sixth in the men’s shot with 18.22m, while Ralford Mullings came eighth (18.11m). Meanwhile, Raymond Richards embraced the spring and did his thing in the High Jump. He came eighth with a height of 2.03m. Distin led the female version of the high jump before being eclipsed by Sanaa Barnes. She lost by a meager 0.02 metres, but we’re proud of her silver, cause anuh change we a talk bout. Adrienne Adams was fourth in the women’s discus throw with 50.90m.

Here’s my favourite – Lotavia Brown became the shock of the town with a 13.22m jump. This was an immense upset! I love seeing the underdogs giving making the competition look like pups. Leaping her way forward she beat Cuba’s World Leader Leyanis Perez Hernandez.

The girls’ and men’s 4x100m relay team copped gold and silver, Xavier Nairne was fourth in the men’s 200m in 20.91 seconds and Brandy Hall took seventh in the female 200m. Tyrice Taylor did an excellent job in an event we tend not to do so well in, the men’s 800m. He was nipped for third place coming fourth like Lazarus, but possibly raising our 800m program from the dead.  Tyrese Reid was seventh in a time of 1:54.27 minutes.

I was certainly filled with pride as the news of all these field event wins came in. The curtains weren’t closed with a field win, but a middle distance win that felt like a fitting end to a great championship. Evaldo Whitehorne, Jeremy Farr, Bovel McPherson, and Anthony Cox, obliterated our National Junior record to take a silver medal. The record was just two years younger than I am (a 17-year-old record). It was held by the super team of Sekou Clarke, Usain Bolt, Jermaine Myers, and Jermaine Gonzales. 

If I missed anyone of your favourites, it wasn’t deliberate. All the performances were equally great and proved how truly phenomenal our teams for future years could be. I sure am in my feels for the field events and I do hope we continue to support them in any way we can. The field events can definitely leap our track team forward. 

— Fabrizio Darby