Gold bounty
Jamaicans won 12 medals on Saturday’s second day of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Open at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Bahamas, a haul that included individual gold medals from Ackeem Blake and Shericka Jackson in the 100m, and from Christopher Taylor in the men’s 400m.
Blake and Jackson were winning their first international 100m championship titles while Taylor ran a new championship record and personal best 44.63 seconds.
After O’Dayne Richards took the bronze in the men’s shot put on Friday, the Jamaicans added another three silver and six bronze for a total of 13 medals.
The medal hunt continues on today’s third and final day with the Jamaicans in 12 finals — eight individual and four relays.
Included in the individual finalists are Fedrick Dacres and Traves Smikle in the men’s discus throw; Tajay Gayle and Shawn-D Thompson in the long jump; Commonwealth Games medallists Janieve Russell and Shiann Salmon in the 400m hurdles; Andrew Hudson and Jazeel Murphy in the men’s 200m and Adelle Tracey in the women’s 1500m.
On Saturday, after leading the qualification in the men’s 100m with 10.14 seconds, Blake — who was a semi-finalist at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last month — ran 9.98 seconds (-0.4m/s) in the final to hold off the American pair of Kyree King (10.08 seconds) and Brandon Carnes (10.12 seconds), while Oshane Bailey was seventh in 10.33 seconds.
Jackson, the national champion and 200m World Champion, won the women’s gold medal in 10.83 seconds (-0.1m/s) with Natasha Morrison taking the bronze in 10.11 seconds, just behind the USA’s Celera Barnes in 10.10 seconds.
Earlier in the semi-finals, she had run 10.98 seconds and Morrison clocked 11.23 seconds to book their spots.
Taylor, the World Championships finalist, beat his previous best of 44.79 seconds and improved to 13th on the Jamaican all-time list as he ran a well-judged race, with Nathon Allen taking second in a season’s best 45.04 seconds and American Bryce Deadmon third with 45.06 seconds.
Megan Tapper won the silver medal in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.68 seconds (-0.8m/s) in a blanket finish that saw American Alaysha Johnson win with 12.62 seconds and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas taking the bronze in 12.71 seconds.
The mixed 4x400m relay team of Demish Gaye, Junelle Bromfield, Karayme Bartley and Andrenette Knight finished second in 3:14.08 minutes, behind the USA ( 3:12.05), with Cuba third in 3:20.35.
Orlando Bennett ran a season’s best 13.18 seconds (0.3m/s) for third in the 110m hurdles as Freddie Crittenden won with a personal best 13.00 seconds, his teammate Jamal Britt placing second in a lifetime best 13.08 seconds.
All three men were under the old championships record of 13.27 seconds.
World Championships finalist Stephenie Ann McPherson won the bronze medal in the women’s 400m after running 50.36 seconds, as World Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo won the gold in 49.40 seconds and World and Commonwealth Games medallists Sada Williams of Barbados was second in 49.86 seconds, her second-fastest time.
Bromfield was sixth in 51.51 seconds.
Adelle Tracey won her first medal in Jamaican colours after she took the bronze in the women’s 800m, running 1:59.54 minutes, her second-fastest time over the distance.
American Ajee Wilson won the gold with 1:58.47, catching her compatriot Allie Wilson just before the finish line as the early leader took silver with 1:58.48.
Chanice Porter was also third in the women’s long jump, her best mark 6.43m coming in the final round (-0.2m/s) as American Quanesha Burks won with 6.75m (0.1m/s) ahead of Canada’s Christobel Nettey in 6.46m (0.1m/s).
Lushane Wilson finished fifth in the men’s high jump with 2.19m, and Cuba’s Hernandez Luis Enrique Yayas won the gold ahead of Canada’s Django Lovett and former World Champion Donald Thomas of The Bahamas who was third — all clearing 2.25m.
Elvis Graham was also fifth in the men’s javelin with a best mark of 71.73m.