The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Laquan Nairn soared to the lone individual medal as the Bahamas added two more in the relays at the 2015 Pan American Junior Track and Field Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

While Nairn posted a silver medal in the men’s long jump on the first day of competition, the men’s 4 x 100m team of Javan Martin, Janeko Cartwright, Ian Kerr and Kendrick Thompson got a silver and the women’s 4 x 100m team of Blayre Catalyn, Jenae Ambrose, Jerinique Brooks and Keianna Albury won a bronze.

Nairn, a double treat to get on the podium, cleared 7.65 metres or 25-feet, 1 1/4-inches on his fifth attempt for his medal in the long jump. He also had jumps of 7.59m (24-11), foul, 7.38m (24-2 1/2), foul and 7.62m (25-0). He was beaten out by Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria, who did 7.76m (25-5 1/2) on his third attempt for the gold. The bronze went to American Keandre Bates with 7.62m (25-0).

However, in his specialty in the high jump, Nairn was only able to go over 2.06m (6-feet, 9-inches) for ninth place.

The men’s 4 x 100m team of Martin, Cartwright, Kerr and Thompson ran 40.32 to trail Jamaica who won the gold in 40.15. Trinidad & Tobago got the bronze in 40.50.

Catalyn, Ambrose, Brooks and Albury teamed up in the women’s 4 x 100m in 45.96 for the bronze. The gold went to the United States in 43.79 and Jamaica picked up the silver in 44.31.

The Bahamas’ team of Jordan Minnis, Donovan Storr, Janeko Cartwright and Henri Delauze just missed out on closing out the three-day meet by having the national flag raised again with a fourth place finish in the men’s 4 x 400m relay in 3:10.02. Jamaica got the silver in 3:08.23 and the bronze to Canada in 3:09.91.

There was no team from the Bahamas entered in the women’s 4 x 400m relay.

A number of Bahamians competed in other events, either making the final or falling short of advancing.

Ian Kerr had one of the best showings when he came in fourth in the men’s 200m in 20.97. American Noah Lyles won the gold in 20.27, Cuba’s Mena Berenguer Reynier got the silver in 20.34 and Ryan Clark, also of the USA, won the bronze in 20.62. Kerr advanced with the fourth fastest qualifying time of 21.03, while Kendrick Thompson was 12th overall in 21.52.

Henri Delauze had to settle for eighth place in the final of the men’s 400m after clocking 47.90. Jamal Walton of the Cayman Islands pulled off the gold in 46.09 ahead of American My’Lik Kerley, who did 46.33 for the silver. Jamaican Renardo Wilson got the bronze in 46.59. DeLauze had the fifth fastest qualifying time of 47.88.

Keianna Albury was seventh in the women’s 200m in 24.22. American Deanna Hill won the gold in 23.18 with Brazil’s Victoria Cristina Rosa the silver in 23.42 and Barbados’ Sada Williams the bronze in 23.49. Albury advanced out of the preliminaries with the sixth fastest time of 24.06. Jenae Ambrose was 12th overall in 24.43, but didn’t make it.

In the preliminaries of the women’s 100m, Ambrose had a best time of 11.65, which placed her 10th overall and out of contention to advance to the final.

Xavier Coakley didn’t finish the final of the men’s 110m hurdles as Misana Vilz of the USA ran away with the gold in 13.30. Roger Valentin Iribarne of Cuba got the silver in 13.32 and the bronze went to Ricardo Torres of Puerto Rico in 13.49. Coakley advanced to the final with the sixth fastest qualifying time of 13.86.

None of the competitors advanced out of the men’s 100m preliminaries with Javan Martin 11th overall in 10.48 and Keanu Pennerman 14th in 12.96.

On the field, Denzil Pratt got fourth in the men’s javelin with a toss of 65.35m (214-5) on his third attempt. American Christopher Mirabelli had a heave of 72.63m (238-5) for the gold, Anderson Peters of Grenada did 72.11m (236-7) for the silver and American Curtis Thompson 71.11m (233-3) for the bronze.

Another fourth place finish came from Drexel Maycock in the men’s discus with a heave of 52.82m (173-3) on his second attempt. American Payton Otterdahl captured the gold with 57.96m (190-2), the silver went to Demar Gayle of Jamaica with 55.98m (183-8) and the bronze to Jose Miguel Ballivan of Chile with 54.43m (178-7).

Serena Brown was fifth in the women’s discus with a best of 47.42m (155-7) on her sixth and final attempt. Josephine Natrasevchi of the United States took the gold with 52.60m (172-7), followed by compatriot Lloydricia Cameron with 51.98m (170-6) for the silver and Jamaican Shanice Love with the bronze with 51.52m (169-0).

In the women’s high jump, Vinisa Beneby was ninth with a best of 1.65m (5-5). The gold went to Vashti Cunningham of the United States with 1.96m (6-5). Lizbeth Esquivel Ximena of Mexico took the silver with 1.80m (5-10 3/4), the same height as bronze medallist Safia Morgan of Jamaica.

And in the women’s long jump final, Kadiesha Hield was 10th overall with 5.48m (17-11 3/4) on her second attempt. The USA got the gold and silver from Samiyah Samuels (6.23m/20-5 1/4) and Courtney Corrin (6.13/20-1 1/2), while Brazil’s Leticia Melo won the bronze with 6.11m (20-0 1/2).