A courageous run from Jeminise Parris earned the 15-year-old Trinidad and Tobago athlete gold in the girls' under-17 300 metres hurdles, on day two of the Carifta Games, at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, here in Nassau, Bahamas, yesterday.
Parris battled all the way to the finish, getting to the line in a personal best 43.24 seconds to secure the top spot, ahead of Jamaican Patrice Moody (43.73) and Barbadian Tristan Evelyn (44.84). The other T&T athlete in the race, Kermisha Serapio was sixth in 46.43.
In the qualifying round, Parris finished second in heat one in 44.70 seconds, advancing to the championship race second fastest overall. In heat two, Serapio finished third in 46.75.
T&T's Reubin Walters bagged bronze in the boys' under-20 400m hurdles in 52.31 seconds.
Jamaica's Omar McLeod clocked 51.46 to claim gold, while silver went to Kion Joseph (51.94), of Barbados.
In the early session, yesterday, Shaiann Charles snapped up bronze in the girls' under-17 discus. The T&T athlete threw 39.19 metres.
Jamaica secured gold and silver. Shanice Love emerged victorious with a 40.16m effort, while the runner-up spot went to Janell Fullerton (39.91m).
T&T's other athlete in the event, shot put champion Chelsea James finished fourth with a 38.63m throw.
Charles produced her 39.19m throw in the sixth and final round.
"It was a feeling of relief," Charles told the Express. "The competition was a bit disappointing, but I did my best and I'm thankful to God…quite happy. I could have done better, but I'm satisfied with what I could have done today."
Mark London cruised into today's boys' under-20 800m final with a comfortable victory in the second of three qualifying heats. Winner of the 1500m event on Saturday, he returned to the track to top his 800 heat in one minute, 55.10 seconds.
London was the second fastest qualifier, behind heat three winner, Marbeq Edgar of St Lucia. Edgar clocked 1:53.19.
London is the defending champion.
Miguel Hackett clocked 2:04.24 to finish fourth in his boys' under-17 800m qualifying heat. He advanced to the final as a "fastest loser", producing the seventh fastest time. However, his T&T teammate, Atiba Samuel, exited the event after finishing seventh in his heat and 15th overall in 2:18.18.
Jonathan Farinha and Jereem Richards will represent T&T in today's boys' under-20 200m final. In the preliminary round, Farinha clocked 21.91 seconds to finish second in heat three, advancing automatically to the championship race. Richards was third in heat one in 21.54, and qualified as a "fastest loser".
Kayelle Clarke will do battle in the girls' under-20 200m final. The T&T sprinter finished second in heat three in 24.88 seconds. Her teammate, Aaliyah Telesford was fourth in heat two and ninth overall in 25.20. The top eight advanced to the final.
Omari Benoit finished fourth in the boys' under-17 high jump with a 1.95m clearance. His T&T teammate, Edson Moses cleared the bar at 1.90m to cop sixth spot.
Shakiel Waithe produced a 54.90m effort to finish fifth in the boys' under-20 javelin. And Ian West copped eighth spot in the boys' under-17 shot put. The T&T athlete threw the iron ball 11.85m.
Lisa Wickham was the best of the T&T sprinters on show in the 100m events, late on Saturday. Wickham finished fourth in the girls' under-20 century in 11.69 seconds.
Bahamians Devynne Charlton and Carmiesha Cox finished one-two, clocking 11.60 and 11.61, respectively. Jamaican Monique Spencer was third in 11.64, while Telesford copped sixth spot in 11.83.
T&T's John Mark Constantine finished seventh in the boys' under-20 100m final in 10.72 seconds. Anguilla's Zharnel Hughes clocked 10.44 to grab gold, ahead of Jamaican Jazeel Murphy (10.48) and Antiguan Tahir Walsh (10.49).
And in the boys' under-17 100m final, T&T's Kadeem Campbell was seventh in 12.03 seconds. Barbadian Mario Burke was the class of the field, winning in 10.61, from Bahamian Keanu Pennerman (10.85) and Jamaican Jelani Walker (10.93).
Also on Saturday, Kevin Roberts pulled up with a hamstring injury in the boys' open heptathlon 200m, and withdrew from the multi-discipline event.
Earlier in the day, Roberts finished fifth in the 110m hurdles in 15.99 seconds, fifth in the long jump with a 6.42m leap, and sixth in the javelin (43.56m).
Machel Cedenio's breathtaking finish in the boys' under-20 400m final was a major talking point on Saturday night.
Coming off the final turn, Cedenio seemed to be out of contention for the top spot. But the T&T quarte-rmiler turned on the afterburners on the home straight, catching Jamaican Jovan Francis and Bahamian Stephen Newbold at the finish line to win in a personal best 45.93 seconds.
"The race was pretty good," said Cedenio. "I got out hard, but by the 200 I got a bit confused when the two guys ran past me. The last 100, I pulled it together, composed myself, and I came home strong.
"It's a really good feeling, getting my pb (personal best). That's what I came here for, so it feels good."
Francis finished second in 46 seconds flat, while Newbold clocked 46.01 to cop third spot.
In the qualifying round, Cedenio topped heat one in 47.86 seconds. Newbold was the fastest qualifier, winning heat two in 45.94.
"I knew running so fast in the heats wasn't really making sense," Cedenio told the Express, "because he (Newbold) had to come back in the final the same day. I guess he didn't run a smart race plan."
At press time, last night, T&T had six medals—four gold and two bronze.