ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Devonte Howell of the Cayman Islands left no doubt he is the fastest teenager in the Caribbean now when he won the Carifta Games under-20 boys’ 100 meters gold medal for the second year in a row on Saturday in Grenada.
The 19-year-old University of Tennessee freshman clocked a season’s best time of 10.15 seconds to ensure there was not the typical Jamaican dominance of the marquee event during the evening session on the first day of this year’s Games at the Kirani James Stadium in the Spice Isle capital of St George’s.
Howell was out of the blocks quickly, had the rest of the field collared at the halfway mark, and sprinted through to finish with a time that was only four-hundredths of a second off the meet record set by former world 100 champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica.
The fast-finishing Jaiden Reid of Caymans grabbed the silver medal from Javorne Dunkley of Jamaica – whose 10.23 secs was the quickest time in the heats – but they were both credited with a time of 10.34 in the final.
Jamaica finished 1-2 in the under-20 girls’ 100, where Sabrina Dockery clocked a personal best of 11.26 and beat her compatriot Theianna Lee Terrelonge.
Dockery had been soundly beaten in the Class 2 final of the 100 at the Jamaica Boys and Girls Championships a fortnight ago. Still, she finished six-hundredths of a second ahead of Terrelonge to take the gold, with Geolyna Dowdye of Antigua & Barbuda ending her wait for a Carifta medal with a time of 11.64 for bronze.
Athaleyha Hinckson justified her tag of favorite and proved that Guyana might be an emerging force in the Caribbean, sprinting with a time of 11.44 to win the under-17 girls’ 100—eighth hundredths faster than Adora Campbell of Jamaica. Aniya Nurse gave Barbados its first medal with a time of 11.76 for bronze.
Nyron Wade of Jamaica ran 10.43 to take the under-17 boys’ gold, Kadeem Chinapoo of Trinidad & Tobago clocked 10.59 for silver, and Malike Nugent of Jamaica was third in 10.74.
Elsewhere, two records fell by the wayside: Jamaica swept the one 500s, and another Guyanese runner broke their hold on the 400s.
Jackie Hyman of Guadeloupe won the under-20 girls’ discus with a toss in the fourth round of 55.06 meters – 87 centimeters better than the previous best of 54.19 set by Fiona Richards of Jamaica at the 2017 Games in Curaçao.
Jamaica took the other two medals with Dionjah Shaw tossing 50.26, the only other mark over 50 meters, and compatriot Najhada Seymoure logging 48.82.
Nickecoy Bramwell of Jamaica clocked 47.27 seconds to win the under-17 boys’ 400 meters in record time, shaving six-hundredths of a second off the previous mark set by sprint icon and compatriot Usain Bolt at the 2002 Games in the Bahamas.
Kemron Mathlyn brought joy to home fans when they ran 47.96 to take the silver, and Eagan Neely of the Bahamas copped the bronze with a time of 48.16.
Apart from the performance from Bramwell, a win for Tianna Springer of Guyana in the under-20 girls’ 400 was the other talking point.
She clocked 52.31 to finish ahead of the Jamaican duo of Abigail Campbell, who had a time of 52.85, and Shanique Williams, who had a time of 53.03.
Jamaican Nastassia Fletcher won the under-17 girls’ race in 54.32, and compatriot Osmond Holt won the under-20 boys’ race in 48.93.
Jamaican athletes Dallia Fairweather, Shemar Green, Rickeisha Simms, and Kemarrio Bygrave copped the gold medals in the 500s.
Joshua Williams of the Bahamas won a competitive under-17 boys’ long jump, leaping 7.03 meters, only three centimeters better than Tyrique Vincent of Trinidad & Tobago, whose sister Tenique had won a bronze in the morning session in the under-17 girls’ high jump.
Brenden Vanterpool of the Bahamas also captured gold when he cleared 5.30 meters in the boys’ pole vault open.
Shaiquan Dunn of Jamaica was the class of the field in the under-20 boys’ discus with a toss of 61.47 meters. At the same time, no other competitor cleared the 60m mark, and compatriot Richelle Stanley covered 12.58 meters and was nine centimeters better than Keneisha Shelbourne of T&T in winning the under-20 girls’ triple jump.
The games continue on Sundays, with the 200s, high hurdles, and 4 x 100 relays prominently featured.
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