Raymond Graham, Freelance WriterTHE two-day Carifta Trials will take centre stage today and tomorrow at G.C. Foster College.
Athletes under the ages of 17 and 19 will be seeking places on Jamaica's team to next month's Carifta Games in Bermuda and with Boys and Girls Championships just around the corner it should be two days of pulsating action as athletes try to score psychological points.
Today's competition starts at 12:30 p.m. with the 300 metres hurdles for girls while in the field at 12:00 there will be the final of the girls Under 20 long jump.
The 100m Under 20 girls final today will worth miles going to see as some of the island's top junior sprinters will be on show. Holmwood Technical's Anneisha McLaughlin is injured but in the field will be Vere Technical's Simone Facey, Holmwood's Tracy Rowe, Edwin Allen's Shirline Duncan and Herbert Morrison's Nickeisha Anderson.
Facey the 2002 World junior 100 metres silver medallist is back with a bang after an injury kept her out for much of last year. At the Gibson Relays she clocked an excellent 11.25 seconds.
Another exciting clash will be the mouth watering one between Vere Technical's Keisha Brown and St. Jago's Nadina Marsh in the Under 20 100m hurdles. Since their Class Two days at Girls Championships both athletes have been experiencing some close and battle epic battles.
SLIGHT EDGE
Brown will have the slight edge as she has beaten Marsh twice this season at the Youngster Goldsmith Meet and the Gibson Relays where both went to the line together. To add to this mix will be Queen's Latoya Greaves, the World Youth 100 metres Hurdles silver medallist.
Following her excellent run at the National Hurdles and Field Events Championships where she recorded a sub 59 seconds over the 400m hurdles, Edwin Allen's Sherene Pinnock should start favourite to defeat St. Andrew High pair of Trisha McGowan and Arusha McKenzie.
Among the boys the Under 20 400m hurdles should be the stellar event. Tewayne Buchanan of Wolmer's, St. Jago's Markeino Buckley and Calabar's Josef Robertson, last year's Under-17 champion are the leading contenders.
The Under 20 high jump should also be competitive. Tariq Edwards of Wolmer's and Kingston College's Carlso Mattis are both jumping well.
In the sprint hurdles Ardenne's Brian Haye is the clear favourite but he will be challenged strongly by Matthew Palmer of Wolmer's and Calabar's Roberton.
Palmer is also expected to be among the leading lights in the Under 20 100m along with Mickel Downer of Holmwood, Camperdown's Renaldo Rose, Andre Wellington of KC and Seaforth High's Dwayne Bryden.
