Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterIN THEIR usual dominating style, Jamaica's athletes blazed a golden streak on yesterday's second and penultimate day of the 33rd CARIFTA Games at the National Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Latanya Nation, Althea Duncan, Franklyn Anderson, Nadina Marsh, Sherene Pinnock, Markino Buckley, Desrick Brooks and Robert Peddiar secured individual wins to help Jamaica to 10 gold, four silver and five bronze medals.
Jamaica's tally is now 21 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze for a total of 44 medals.
Pinnock and Buckley topped the girls' and boys' Under-20 400 metres hurdles respectively. Buckley, a student out of St. Jago High, upset favourite and Boys' Champs winner Josef Robertson to win the one-lap obstacle event in 52.46. Robertson, who won at Champs in 51.33 seconds, had to settle for third in 54.99.
In continuing her impressive season of hurdling, Pinnock clocked 58.98 to beat teammate Trishana McGowan (59.83) in a small field. In the girls' Under-17 300m hurdles, Judith Riley (42.37) finished second behind Bahamian Michelle Cumberbatch (42.37).
Sandor Pennicott finished second in the boys' Under-17 400m hurdles in 55.67. Christopher Adderley of Bahamas won the event in 55.49.
CLEAN SWEEP
Jamaica made a clean sweep of the Under-17 sprint relays. The quartet of Kimberly Laing, Kimberly Smith, Natasha Ruddock and Schilloni Calvert stopped the clock 46.40 for the girls' victory while Ramalo Turner, Sandor Pennicott, Akeen Smith and Winston Barnes led home the boys' team in 42.74.
At press time, the results of the Under-20 sprint relays were not available.
In other outstanding performances, Holmwood Technical schoolgirls Althea Duncan and Peta-Gaye Beckford recorded personal best jumps for gold and bronze in the girls' Under-20 triple jump.
Duncan, the Girls' Champs winner, leapt a career best 12.85m to take top honours over Prescillia Corneille of Guadeloupe (12.84m) and teammate Beckford (12.83).
In the boys' Under-17 event, it was the same 'sankie' with Robert Peddiar (14.57) and Nicholas Gordon (13.63) taking first and third respectively.
In the girls' Under-17 discus Jamaica, led by Latanya Nation and Kemisha Throughsingh, again picked up gold and bronze. Nation threw 37.74m to win the event while Throughsingh secured bronze with 33.39m.
Desrick Brooks won the Under-17 boys' 3,000m in 9:29.23 while Loraine McKenzie secured second in the girls' equivalent in 10:57.09 behind Pilar MC Shine of Trinidad & Tobago (10:51.41).
Although she scored 279 points less than what she did last year, Nadina Marsh was still able to defend her pentathlon Open title with 3,589 points.
Franklyn Anderson, a student at JC, secured Jamaica's first medal on yesterday's second day when soared to 4.10m win the boys' Under-20 pole vault. Anderson who won the event at Champs for JC defeated Andrew Brown of Bahamas 3.70 in a very small field.
FASTEST TIME
Schilloni Calvert, another upcoming star out of the Maurice Wilson-coached Holmwood camp is on course for the Under-17 sprint double. Calvert, a former Anchovy High student who won Friday's 100m in 11.98, enters this afternoon's 200m final with the fastest time (23.88) ahead of fellow Jamaican Kimberly Smith (24.01).
In the boys' section, Winston Barnes with a 22.25 seconds clocking trails Dario Alleyne of Barbados (21.87) going into his 200m final. The other Jamaican competitor, Favian Blagrove, ran 22.60 for fourth in his heat and failed to advance.
In the 'big girls' event, last year's silver medallist Nickeisha Anderson (23.66), a student at Herbert Morrison, leads the field going into the final, which also included TraceyAnn Rowe (24.06) who has the fifth fastest time.
