Michael O'Hara wins the 200m at the Carifta Games Trials (© Anthony Foster)
Jamaican junior athletes continued their build up to the country’s top High School Championships in two weeks, as well as the Carifta Games, the regional Caribbean meet, in just over three weeks. But many will also be looking to compete at this summer’s IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine.
At the end of the two-day meet dubbed the Carifta Games Trials, 16-year-old sprinter Michael O’Hara, high jumper Christoff Bryan and sprint hurdler Jaheel Hyde some of the bright sparks.
O’Hara, a student at Calabar High, was impressive in the boys’ under-20 200m, running 20.78 to beat Jevaughn Minzie of Bag Walk. The World junior 4x100m silver medallist, who is no longer a youth athlete, clocked 21.44 in second place.
Bryan, 16, competed against Demar Robinson, who will be 20 years old this year. Both recorded 2.15m in the under-20 High Jump.
Bryan’s team-mate at Wolmer’s School, 16-year-old Jaheel Hyde, ran 13.63 seconds to take the under-17 110m Hurdles. Roje Jackson Chin of St Jago was second in 13.76.
Vere’s Yanique McNeil, who will be targeting her first World Youth title, took the under-20 400m in 53.38 over Chris-Ann Gordon of Holmwood (53.56). Tiffany James of Papine won the under-17 race in 54.70.
Sixteen-year-old Yanique Thompson of Holmwood Technical, who is also a sprint hurdler, placed second in the under-20 100m, running 11.64 behind Monique Spencer’s 11.58.
In other events, Natalliah Whyte of St Jago took the girls’ under-17 100m in 11.93 while Raheem Chambers was the winner of the boys’ equivalent, clocking 10.89.
Martin Manley of St Jago was the winner in the boys’ under-17 200m in 21.79 while Edwin Allen’s Shellece Clarke, who ran 11.98 for second place in the 100m, took the girls’ under-17 200m in 24.19. Manley also won the 400m in 48.81
Patrice Moody of Edwin Allen took the girls’ 300m Hurdles in 42.58 while Duran Crooks of Munro won the boys’ under-17 400m Hurdles in 55.15. Okeen Williams, 17, and his St Elizabeth Technical team-mate Marvin Williams, 17, finished second and third in the boys’ under-20 400m Hurdles with times of 51.33 and 53.48 respectively.
Paul-Ann Gayle, 17, and her Edwin Allen team-mate Rochelle Frazer, 17, threw 47.13m and 45.23m for second and third in the girls’ under-20 discus behind Holmwood’s Gleneve Grange, 18, who won with 48.40m. Frazer won the Shot with 13.44m.
Anthony Foster for the IAAF
