Cranston, Tina Clayton complete sprint double
Alicke Cranston of St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) and Tina Clayton of Edwin Allen High completed their respective sprint doubles at yesterday’s final day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Ministry of Sports/Supreme Ventures National Junior Championships at the national Stadium after winning the 200m titles.
Cranston won the Under-18 boys’ 200m in a new personal best 21.00 seconds (-1.3m/s), second best in the world, while Clayton took the Under-20 200m title.
Kingston College’s Vashaun Vascianna repeated his world lead 13.44 seconds (-2.3m/s) to win the Under-20 boys’ 110m hurdles as the selectors are now to meet to name teams to the NACAC Under-18 Chmpionships in Costa Rico in early July and the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, in mid-August.
Cranston, who had won the 100m on Thursday, lowered his personal best from 21.15 seconds and jumped one place to second in the Under-18 World list while his teammate Orlando Wint took second with 21.42 seconds and Calabar High’s Mark Manley was third in 21.47 seconds.
St Jago High’s Gregory Prince, who led the qualifying, delivered by winning the Under-20 boys’ 200m in a big new personal best 21.05 seconds (-0.4m/s), under the 21.36 seconds he ran on Friday.
Clarendon College’s Rajay Morris was second in 21.21 seconds and Jamaica College’s Zidane Brown was third in 21.24 seconds.
Both Cranston and Prince are under the qualifying time for the World Under-20, but Edwin Allen’s Bryan Levell, who opted to run against the seniors and qualified for the 100m final on Friday and who has a personal best of 20.60 seconds, is also eligible.
Clayton was hardly pushed in the Under-20 girls’ final as she won comfortably in 23.61 seconds (-1.7m/s) ahead of Rusea’s High’s Aalliyah Francis (23.78 seconds) with Vere Technical’s Annalee Robinson third in a personal best 23.91 seconds.
Hydel High’s Alana Reid took the Under-18 title, running a personal best 23.59 seconds (0.6m/s), beating Rusea’s High’s Lavanya Williams-24.24 seconds and Deandra Harris (25.77 seconds).
Despite running into a strong headwind, Vascianna repeated his time from the semi-final to cement his claim to a medal favourite.
Rahyme Christian of Clarendon College was second in 13.91 seconds followed by Neil-Matthew Sutherland (14.16 seconds).
St Jago High’s Andre Harris ran a personal best 13.70 seconds (0.0m/s) to win the Under-18 110m hurdles, dipping under his previous best of 13.87 seconds, beating St Elizabeth Technical’s 400m hurdles winner Shamer Blake (13.95 seconds) and Calabar’s Jevon Nelson (13.96 seconds).
Hydel High’s Kerrica Hill, who was second in the 100m on Thursday, won the Under-20 100m hurdles, running a personal best 13.21 seconds (-0.8m/s), to beat her teammate Oneka Wilson (13.41 seconds) and Gabrielle Matthews (13.46 seconds) of The Queen’s School.
Petersfield High’s Alexis James won the Under-18 final in a personal best 13.58 seconds (-1.2m/s) ahead of St Catherine High’s Asharria Ulett (13.73 seconds) and Shania Myers (13.81 seconds) of Hydel High.
Jeremy Bembridge took the Under-20 boys’ 400m, running 46.09 seconds, crossing the line ahead of Holmwood Technical’s Tahj Hamm (46.59 seconds) and Malachi Johnson (46.83 seconds)of Excelsior High.
Robinson of Vere Technical won the Under-20 400m in a personal best 53.26 seconds, McAnuff of Hydel was second in 53.27 seconds with Francis of Ruseas third in 54.56 seconds.
Clarendon College’s Dejanae Oakley won the Under-18 race in 54.70 seconds, beating Rusea’s High’s Oneika Brissett who ran a personal best 55.50 seconds with Ferncourt’s Abigail Campbell third in 56.33 seconds.
Edwin Allen’s Delano Kennedy won the Under-18 boys’ 400m race, catching St Elizabeth Technical’s Jasauna Dennis on the line and both were credited with the same time, 47.77 seconds, personal best for both.
Derrick Grant of Ferncourt was third in 48.56 seconds.