- Tennis ace Oskar Bjuroe wins prestigious scholarship
- Intense play as corporate squash heads into final week
- A historic first for Latinos FC
- Elite, Scholars share women’s crowns
- Aaron Jarvis commits to UNLV, dreams of playing professionally
- Cayman’s World Cup qualifying opponents drawn
- BTFC back on top as CIFA Premier League Champions
- Certification offered for football referees
- Footballers to remember Gonzalo with ‘minute of silence’
- Corporate squash league serves up excitement
Medals and record highlight day one in Curacao
- Updated: 15 April 2017
Top row: Jamal Walton, Dominic Dyer. Bottom row: Lacee Barnes
Cayman Islands athletes won two medals and another set a new national record on the opening day of the 46th Flow CARIFTA Games in Curacao on Saturday, 15 April.
Jamal Walton started strong to finish second in the U20 boys 400m in 46.46 seconds, trailing Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor to the line in the one-lap event. It mirrored the finish they had in the semi-final round. It was the second year in a row that the Miramar High School (Florida) student took the silver behind a Jamaican.
Walton’s performance was the best finish for Team Cayman on a breezy first day of the premier Caribbean junior track and field championships.
Jamal Walton (silver) and Dominic Dyer (bronze) won medals on Day 1.
Another medal came thanks to the effort of Dominic Dyer. The Cayman Prep and High School student picked up a bronze in the U20 boys 1,500m. Dyer and training partner, William Edwards, both started toward the back of the field but Dyer quickly made his way forward and was in the lead pack after the first lap.
Briefly taking the lead on the final lap, Dyer faded as Jamaica’s Akeen Colley and Guyana’s Anfernee Headecker moved ahead. There was no quit in Dyer, who made back up ground on the Guyanese and held off another Jamaican, Shemar Salmon down the home stretch to finish third. He finished in 3:59.33. Edwards finished middle of the field in seventh in 4:17.07.
A final throw by an athlete from another British Overseas Territory prevented the one of Cayman’s medal favourites from finding the podium in the U20 girls discus. Lacee Barnes sat in third position with 47.63m with the last throws to come. Bermuda’s Tiara Derosa came up with her effort of the night, edging past Barnes with 47.69m to finish third behind Jamaica’s Fiona Richards and Bahamian Laquell Harris. Richards broke a 15-year old CARIFTA Games record with each of her throws on the night. She now holds the record with 54.19m.
Lacee Barnes (file photo)
Though she did not medal, Barnes finished with a Cayman Islands national record for her lifetime best distance of 47.63m, bettering the 44.67m she set at the All-Comers Meet in February.
In other day one results, Lamar Reid finished 10th in the U18 boys long jump, making 6.48m in his final attempt.
Earlier Shalysa Wray, who attends St Jago High School in Jamaica, failed to advance in the girls U20 400m. She was fourth in the first semi-final with a time of 57.30 seconds, which was not fast enough to advance to Saturday evening’s final.
Daujaughn Murray, competing at CARIFTA for the first time, was fourth in his heat of the boys U18 400m. The John Gray High School student crossed the line in 49.92 seconds, 13th fastest out of 27 runners. Only the top finisher from each of the four heats plus the next four fastest times qualified for the finals. His time was noticeably faster than the 51.49 seconds he ran to win the event at the Inter-Secondary Track and Field Championships last month but behind his personal best of 49.12. Murray’s games are not over. He still has the 200m and the 4x100m events.
Aijah Lewis finished sixth in the U18 Girls high jump, clearing 1.65 metres.
CaymanSportsBuzz.com will have coverage throughout the games, including medal alerts on our Facebook page.
Related Posts
You must be logged in to post a comment Login