- Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's D'Omar Boyden strides away from the field to win the boys' Under-13 400m at the Caribbean Union of Teachers Students Champs at the National Stadium on Friday.
Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
NOT EVEN the order made by Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson that flags be flown at half mask as a mark of respect to the late Hugh Shearer, a former Prime Minister himself, could prevent hosts Jamaica from flying the black, green and gold at its highest possible level yesterday when the 10th biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) champions ended at the National Stadium.
The Arthur Edwards-coached youngsters amassed a mammoth 512 points on their way to dethroning Trinidad and Tobago (402.5 points), who finished third and way out of the reach of second place finishers Barbados (411 points).
PROVERBIAL BRIDESMAID
Having been the proverbial bridesmaid on the two previous occasions when they entered the regional meet - finishing third in 1998 and second in 2000 respectively - Jamaica made the perfect ascendancy by stepping up to first place.
Edwards told The Gleaner he expected the win, but what he did not foresee was this huge margin of victory.
"I am surprised. I knew we would have won but I didn't know that the margin of victory would have been so great," he said.
"We were very confident but we also knew that in sports nothing is certain. It is so overwhelming. The entire coaching staff and management team did a fine job and the athletes put on a fantastic show for all Jamaica to see," Edwards added. Not only did Jamaica top the points standings, but they occupied the top of the medals table.
31 GOLD
These defenders of the Jamaica 'Land We Love' hauled in 31 gold, 11 silver and four bronze, a total of 46. Barbados (36 medals) came next with seven gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze and Trinidad and Tobago (32 medals) won seven gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze.
Jamaica's eight-year old Kevaun Rattary was the Under-nine champion boy. His teammate Adam Senior took the Under-11 crown, while the Under-15 title was won by another Jamaican, Tarik Batchelor. Bahamas Geno Jones was the Under-13 champion.
There was not much luck as far as divisional champions went in the girls section for Jamaica.
SECOND BEST
Dahlia Galye finished behind The Bahamas' Khadijah Frazier in the Under-9 section, Olivia James was second best to Shaunae Miller also of Bahames, this in the Under-11 category, while the British Virgin Island's Shanice Hazel outdid Jamaicans Petra Fanty and Orinthia Bennett for the Under 13 crown. No Jamaican featured for the top spot in the Under-15 category which was won by Cadajah Spencer of Trinidad and Tobago.
In a meet highlighted by several record breaking performances, Jamaica, Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago all took occasion to demonstrate their strength on the track.
However, Jamaica proved to their guests that they will continue to wear the crown as the region's sprint factory. The country won six out of eight sprint relays contested and let the other two slip away through poor baton passing.
RELAYS
These relays saw Jamaica winning the girls Under-9 (1:01.77), Boys Under-9 (56.63 record), Girls Under-11 (54.55 record), Boys Under-11 (52.83 record) before Trinidad and Tobago (51.96) spoilt the party in the Girls Under-13, beating Jamaica (52.33) into third.
The boys, however, bounced back to win the Under-13 event, registering 50.22, but the Under-15 girls faltered at the might of Trinidad and Tobago who ran a record 48.98 to beat them into second. Defeat to their age group compatriots seemed to have stirred up the Under-15 boys, who produced a fine run in the day's last event, cantering to victory in 45.35 seconds, thereby bringing the curtains down on Jamaica's 2004 CUT campaign in fine style.
