TRINIDAD AND Tobago captured two gold, three silvers and a bronze, up to press time on Saturday, during day one of the 2022 Carifta Track and Field Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
Keeran Sriskandarajah won TT’s first gold medal when he conquered the field in the boys’ Under-17 1500 metre event.
Sriskandarajah clocked four minutes and 10.58 seconds (4:10.58) to secure victory by an almost two-second margin ahead of Guyanese silver medallist Javon Roberts (4:12.54) and bronze receiver Yoshane Bowen (4:13.15) of Jamaica.
Aaron Antoine also leapt to top honours in the boys’ 17-19 high jump. Antoine surpassed the 2.16m height on his third attempt while runner-up Jamaican Brandon Pottinger could only get over the 2.14m mark. Vincentian Verrol Sam (2m) was third.
In the girls’ U17 1500m, TT’s Kayleigh Forde (4:52.14) grabbed silver behind Guyanese gold medallist Attoya Harvey (4:45.75). Jamaican Kededra Coombs (4.52.19) was third while TT’s Aniqah Bailey (4:57.02) finished fifth.
And in the boys’ 17-19 1500m, national triathlete Troy Llanos held on to bronze in 4.41.47. Jamaican J’Voughnn Blake (4.00.04) took top spot while his countryman Adrian Nethersole (4.01.45) was second; just two milli-seconds ahead of Llanos.
Earlier in the day, it was Tenique Vincent who began TT’s medal-haul as she secured silver in the girls’ U-17 high jump.
She achieved a distance of 1.65m on her fifth attempt. Winning gold was Jamaica’s Danielle Noble (1.73m) while British Virgin Islands’ Jah’kyla Morton (1.6m) earned bronze. TT’s Gianna Paul (1.6m) was fourth.
TT's Anthony Diaz also earned silver after throwing 63.69m in the boys’ 17-19 javelin. He achieved the distance on his first of six attempts. Launching to victory was Bahamian Keyshawn Strachan (79.89m) who surpassed the previous Carifta U20 record of 78.28m.
TT’s Dorian Charles (58.84m) was fifth.
In the girls U-17 400m final, TT’s Jenna-Marie Thomas was fifth in 58.39s while Cyril Summer was seventh, in 48.67s, in the boys’ 17-19 400m.
TT’s lone representative in the girls’ U-17 shot put, Peyton Winter, finished sixth overall with her best attempt of 12.03m, attained on her third attempt.
Up to press time, national sprinters Revell Webster (boys’17-19), Shaniqua Bascombe (girls’ 17-19), Jamario Russell (boys’ U17) and Janae De Gannes (girls’ U17) were all scheduled to compete in their respective finals.
TT continue their Carifta medal quest on Sunday.