Laverne Eve of Bahamas (centre) 2002 Commonwealth Javelin Gold (© Getty Images)
The home team provided the most exciting moments of the XIX Central American and Caribbean Senior Track and Field Championships, but at the end of the day, Jamaica and the Bahamas occupied their usual spots a top the medals table.
The three-day meet concluded on Sunday evening (6 July) at the National Stadium in St. George's, Grenada, with the host territory also turning in its best ever performance in the 35 years of the CAC meet.
Courtesy of newly-crowned CAC champions Alleyne Francique (men's 400m), Hazelann Regis (women's 400m) and Neisha Bernard-Thomas (women's 800m), Grenada was a
commendable fifth in the medals table. Jamaica led the way with 21 medals, six of them gold, and the Bahamians commanded five gold medals among their total haul of 11. Cuba and Trindad & Tobago were third and fourth, respectively.
But though their exploits will remain fresh in the minds of spectators long after the Games, others took their turn in the spotlight on Sunday.
While Bahamas' Commonwealth champion Laverne Eve's easy win in the women’s javelin with a throw of 56.75m was not the star performance of the final day, it was the most significant as in the process she became only the second woman to complete five consecutive victories in an event in CAC championships history.
On the track Dominic Demeritte took advantage of Kim Collins' unexplained absence from the men's 200m final, the Bahamas native winning the event in 20.43 seconds. Collins, from St. Kitts-Nevis, had successfully defended his CAC 100m title on Friday evening, and was favoured in the 200m.
Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands won the women’s version of the half-lap event, clocking 22.45 seconds. Another Cayman Islander, Kareem Street-Thompson, missed tying the CAC men's long jump record by a centimetre, though even had he made the record distance, his clearance of 8.12m came with an illegal trailing wind of 2.3m/s.
The Bahamas won the men's 4x400m relay in 3:02.56, beating Jamaica (3:04.08) into second place. World Champion Avard Moncur, who had deferred the individual 400m race, pulled away on the anchor leg to lead his team to the top of the podium.
Earlier, in the women's event, the Jamaican quartet of Naleya Downer, Michelle Burgher, Carlene Robinson and 400m hurdles champion Allison Beckford combined for a winning time of 3:29.75, ahead of Grenada's (3:32.99) group of Kishara George, Bernard-Thomas, Jackie-Ann Morain and Regis.
Also on the track, Pamenos Ballantyne secured a sole medal for St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The 28-year-old took gold in the Half Marathon on Sunday morning, winning in 1:09:14 after trailing for the first nine km. Lourdes Cruz of Puerto Rico won the women's Half Marathon in 1:31:50, with St. Vincent & the Grenadines' Adelaide Carrington 1:38:45 occupying second
place.
Bahamian Leevan Sands won the men's Triple Jump with a best effort of 17.16m, whilst Antigua-Barbuda's teenager, Ayata Joseph, placed third with an effort of 15.94m - Gregory Hughes of Barbados was second. Cuba's Lisbanie Pere Rodriquez cleared 2.21m to win the men's High Jump.
