Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
NASSAU, Bahamas:
CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS by Dorian Scott and Claston Bernard, along with Lansford Spence's 400m and women's 4x100m victories, yesterday lifted Jamaica's medal tally on the penultimate day of the 20th Central America & Caribbean (CAC) Athletics Championships at Thomas Robinson Track & Field Stadium.
Jamaica's Madrea Hyman (9:54.01) won the 3000m steeplechase gold ahead of her teammate Koreene Hinds (9: 58.05). However, these medals will not be added to the country's medal tally as the Jamaicans were the only two competitors.
At the end of day two, Jamaica boast six gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals, already equaling last championship's tally.
Peta-Gaye Dowdie anchored the women's 4x100m quartet to victory in 43.21, beating the Bahamas with Chandra Sturrup (43.48) and Cuba (45.07).
HAND OFFS
"We didn't have much time to practice out hand offs, but Bev (McDonald) and I and the other girls (Daniele Browning, Sherri-Ann Brooks) are experienced so we basically used that," said Dowdie, a former national 100m champion.
In men's decathlon, Bernard, who started the day on 3343 points, won the opening event yesterday, the men's 110m hurdles, in 14.55 seconds. He afterwards picked up second in the discus (47.44) with a bandaged right-arm, was fourth in the pole vault, clearing (4.30m).
Bernard had by then tallied 6584 points, ahead of Cuban Albert Juanorena Junior (63.81m). With only the javelin and the 1500m remaning, it was a close contest for the right to be called CAC Championships champion for 2005.
However, Bernard, the Commonwealth Games champion, came up with an impressive performance in the javelin, picking up second with a throw of 54.15m.
A third place finish in the 1500m, in 4:45.96, took Bernard to 7877 points and past countryman Maurice Smith's four-year-old mark of 7755 points, holding off the challenge of Juanorena Junior (7672) and Alexis Chivas, also from Cuba (7624).
Bernard said yesterday's victory was geared towards the upcoming World Championships.
"This weekend was more about coming out here and getting warmed up for World Champion-ships," he said.
Meanwhile, Scott became Jamaica's second American-born medallist at the Championships. The victory was sweet for Scott, not only because he broke the Championships record, but more for the fact that he won a place on Jamaica's contingent to Helsinki.
Earlier, Andrea Bliss opened Jamaica's medal tally when she pocketed the women's 100m hurdles silver.
Bliss' time of 12.86 seconds, her second best of the season, placed her behind Haitian Nadine Faustin, who won in 12.83. Cuban Yahumara Neyra (13.09) was third.
Bliss, who won her preliminary of the women's 100m hurdles in 13.14, the second fastest time, had mixed feelings about her performance.
National champion Sheree Francis failed in her bid to secure a World Championships qualifying mark in the women's high jump, finishing joint fourth with a leap of 1.80m.
TURNING TABLES
However, Karen Beautle, who was upstaged at National Championships by Francis, turned the tables by clearing the bar at 1.85m for silver, which she shared with Juana Arrendel of Dominican Republic.
St. Lucia's Lavern Spencer won the event with a championship record leap of 1.94.
In the men's 110m hurdles, Christopher Pinnock (13.55) and Decosma Wright (13.81) were fifth and seventh respectively. Joel Hdez Reyes ( 13.32) led a Cuban 1-2 with Dayron Robles Planes (13.41) in second.
In late Friday night action, McDonald (11.46) and Brooks (11.52) were fifth and seventh respectively behind Bahamian World leader Chandra Sturrup ( 11.02), who broke Jamaica's Merlene Ottey's 20-year-old mark of 11.18.
In the men's event, Lerone Clarke (10.24) and Kurt Watson (10.54) were sixth and seventh respectively as Darrel Brown ( 10.02) got the photo finish judge decision over Marc Burns (10.02).
Meanwhile, Dean Griffiths' 400m hurdles victory on Saturday's opening day was a new CAC record. His time of 48.99 bettered the previous best of 49.12, held by Puerto Rico's Domingo Cordero's since 1991. His teammate Lueroy Colquhoun was third in 49.23.
