The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ANTHAYA Charlton added another historic performance for the Bahamas as the 10th North American, Central American and Caribbean U-18 and Under-23 Championships got underway in Queretato, Mexico.

After Michael 'Mike' Sands was elected the first Bahamian to serve as the president of NACAC on Monday, Charlton led the Bahamian 18-member delegation in action in the national stadium on Friday, winning gold in the under-18 girls long jump final.

Her leap of 5.86 metres or 19-feet, 2 3/4-inches established a NACAC championship record. Paula-Ann Chambers of Jamaica got the silver with 5.76m (18-10 3/4) and Maria Fernanda Marquez of Mexico won the bronze with 5.69m (18-8).

Charlton also showed her versatility in the preliminaries of the 100m where she turned in the seventh fastest qualifying time of 12.02 seconds behind her St. Augustine's College team-mate Jaida Knowles, who had the fourth fastest time of 11.84.

The fastest qualifier was Junior world champion Brianna Williams from Jamaica in 11.53.

Session one also saw Samson Colebrooke, now at Purdue University, post the fourth fastest qualifying time of 10.20 in the boys under-12 100m preliminaries. He advanced to the final where Jamaican Waseem Williams won with 10.15.

Also advancing in the under-23 boys' 400m hurdles was Shakeem Hall-Smith with the sixth best time in the preliminaries in 53.16. Going in with the fastest time was Norman Grimes of the United States in 51.79.

Two other finals were contested with Grand Bahamian Holland Martin placing 12th in the boys' under-23 long jump with his best leap of 7.21m. The medal winners were Trinidad & Tobago's Andwuelle Wright with 8.25m (27-0 3/4); Jamaica's Shawn Thompson with 8.05m (26-5) and compatriot Wayne Pinnock with 7.97m (26-1 3/4).

And Dreshanae Rolle had to settle for fifth place in the under-23 girls' 400m hurdles final in 1:00.72. American Anna Cockrell took the gold in 56.54; Shiann Salmon of Jamaica claimed the silver in 56.83 and the bronze went to American Brittley Humphrey in 57.36.

The meet will continue through the weekend, wrapping up on Sunday. Philippa Arnett-Willie is also making history as the first Bahamian to act as an announcer at the meet with Kareem Streete-Thompson from the Cayman Islands.