DAVID Riley, head coach of the Jamaica team that placed second in the medals table at last weekend’s NACAC Under 18/23 championships at Estadio Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica, said he was pleased with the performance of the athletes.

Jamaican athletes won 32 medals (13 gold, 14 silver and five bronze) to finish behind the United States who claimed 47 medals (23 gold, 16 silver and eight bronze).

Canada were third with 28 medals (12 gold, 10 silver and six bronze) while The Bahamas — who won seven gold, nine silver and seven bronze — and Trinidad and Tobago with six gold, seven silver and 10 bronze, both ended with 23 in total.

Sunday’s final day was highlighted by a championship record 23.53 seconds (-0.9m/s) by Theianna-Lee Terrelonge to win the Under-18 girls’ 200m. She completed the sprint double after she won the 100m on Friday’s opening day.

There were also gold medals for high jumper Romaine Beckford, Rhianna Phipps in the Women’s Under-23 triple jump, and both Under-18 and Under-23 4x400m relay teams.

“The overall performance of the team, I would think, was very high. The athletes are definitely mentally and physically prepared for competition. You just have to lift your hat to them and applaud them for great performances overall,” Riley told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

“Most athletes did very well, some produced personal bests and season bests, and this is commendable at this stage in the season. Many would have been competing from January — indoors for the ones in the US Collegiate system and development meets for the [locally] based ones,” he added.

He noted that Terrelonge’s double was among the outstanding performances of the weekend.

“I would think the standout performances would come from the sprint double from Terrelonge and her meet record in the 200m; Daniel Wright in the sprint hurdles also breaking the meet record; the 4x400m male Under-23 team was also strong with a 3:02.44; and Adrian Kerr who ran 10.08 in the 100m.”

Terrelonge broke fellow Jamaican Alana Reid’s record of 23.78 set in 2021. The runner-up, La’Nica Locker of Antigua and Barbuda, was also under the old mark with 23.64, followed by Puerto Rico’s Frances Joely Colon Vasquez (24.08).

Beckford, the national high jump champion, obliged as the favourite by clearing 2.21m to beat Kason O’Riley (2.18) of the USA and Shaun Miller (2.15m) of The Bahamas.

Phipps jumped a personal best 13.61m (-1.3m/s) to win the Under-23 women’s triple jump, coming from behind to beat American Euphenie Andre who had a wind-aided 13.42m (3.4m/s). Asherah Collins, also of the USA, took bronze with 13.04m -0.3m/s).

The men’s Under-23 4x400m team of Assine Wilson, Raheem Hayles, Delano Kennedy and D’Andre Anderson ran 3:02.44 to beat the USA (3:03.84) and Barbados (3:04.33).

The Under-18 boys’ team of Joshua Wint, Daniel Wright, Jabari Matheson and Trevoy Smith won in a time of 3:12.80, followed by The Bahamas in second with 3:19.80 and Trinidad and Tobago (3:26.81).

The women’s Under-23 team of Garriel White, Shaquena Foote, Joanne Reid and Shana-Kaye Anderson placed second with 3:28.50, behind the USA team that won with a championship record 3:26.83. Costa Rica were third in 4:09.81.

Ainsley McGregor was second in the Under-18 boys’ 200m final, running 21.70 seconds (-0.9m/s). He was beaten to the finish line by Kasiya Daley of Antigua and Barbuda who won with 21.40 while Cayden Smith of The Bahamas was third with 21.76.

Demar Francis also won a silver medal in the men’s Under-23 200m with a time of 20.67 (1.7m/s) as Canada’s Callum Robinson won with 20.52. Conner Washington of the USA was third with 20.74.