JAMAICA ended the track and field schedule at the Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, on a high, with five medals on Friday. The highlight was a championships record 61.79m in the men’s discus throw from Racquil Broderick.

The Jamaican delegation won an overall 15 medals, with track and field athletes accounting for 12 of those.

Sabrina Lyn claimed silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke, while Colin McKenzie took the bronze medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke. Tyler Tracey won bronze in men’s wrestling (74kg freestyle).

Jamaica got off to a slow start in the track and field competition, failing to win a medal after the first two days but won five medals on Wednesday’s third day, two more Thursday, and five on Friday.

They won four gold, four silver and four bronze medals to finish fifth on the track and field table.

Cuba led the way with 13 medals (eight gold, three silver and two bronze), followed by Canada with 15 medals (seven gold, seven silver and one bronze), Colombia with 14 medals (seven gold, four silver and three bronze) and Mexico with 19 (four gold, five silver and 10 bronze).

Jamaica’s gold medals came in the men’s 400m, 400m hurdles, women’s 4x100m relay and the men’s discus throw. The silver medals were won in both 4x400m relays, the men’s 4x100m relay and the men’s discus, while the bronze medals came in the men’s and women’s 400m hurdles, women’s 400m and the men’s triple jump.

Jasauna Dennis won the first gold medal when he ran a championships record 45.56 seconds to win the men’s 400m, breaking the 45.59 seconds set in 2021. Trinidad and Tobago’s Jaden Marchan timed a personal best 45.80 for second and Brazil’s Vinicius Galeno was third with 45.83.

Tyreece Hyman ran a second personal best at the championships after he won the men’s 400m hurdles in a smart 48.90. He had run 49.03 in the semis.

Brazil’s Matheus DaSilva, who had beaten Hyman in the semis, setting the championships record 48.23 seconds, took the silver medal with 49.28. Bronze medal winner Romario Stewart lowered his personal best to 50.11, bettering the 50.79 he had run at the national championships in June.

The Jamaica women’s 4x100m team of Sabrina Dockery, Marissa Palmer, Serena Cole and Alana Reid, running from lane seven, clocked a Junior Pan American Games record 43.51, lowering the previous championships best of 43.59 set in 2021.

Trinidad and Tobago were second with 43.89 and Colombia third in 44.01.

Jamaica’s fourth gold came on the final day of track and field when Broderick, who had an outstanding outing with five of his six throws being all over 60.00m, broke the championships record of 61.08m in the second round. His teammate Christopher Young was second with 59.34m and Brazil’s Mateus Torres third with 58.73m.

The men’s 4x100m as well as both 4x400m relay teams won silver medals, while Chavez Penn rallied in the men’s triple jump to win the bronze with a personal best 16.44m (2.0m/s).

Daynea Colstock, who ran a lifetime-best 58.78 in the women’s 400m hurdles, and Shanakaye Anderson, in the women’s 400m, also won bronze medals.