The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Versatile sprinter/ hurdler Antoine Andrews qualified in his second event for the 2022 CARIFTA Games, while Leonardo Taylor and Leon Williams joined a list of throwers reaching the qualifying mark for the trip to Kingston, Jamaica, over the Easter holiday weekend.

Coming off his qualifying performance in the under-20 boys’ 100 metres two weeks ago at the BAAA Star Performers Invitational at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, Andrews came back in the 400m hurdles.

Unlike the century where he did the automatic time of 10.50 seconds, Andrews came back on Saturday at the Dianna Lynn Thompson’s Time Trials, hosted by the Roadrunners Track Club, and cleared the 10 flights of hurdles in the one lap race in 48.25.

The automatic qualifier was 47.34, but Andrews missed the time and had to settle for surpassing the B standard of 48.28.

If no one does the A standard by the final trials in March, he would automatically get to be selected for the event.

However, in his specialty in the 110m hurdles, Andrews’ winning time of 13.88 was short of the qualifying standard of 13.66.

“I appreciated it. It was a good race,” said Andrews, an 18-year-old 12th grader at St John’s College. “It was a good race. I just trusted my training and went out there and ran it. I really wanted to qualify in the 110m hurdles, but I guess that will come.”

On the field, Xtreme Athletics’ Leonardo Taylor won the under-20 boys’ shot put with a heave of 32-feet, 7 ½-inches or 9.94 metres and Noble Prep Academy’s Leon Williams was second with 30-8 1/4 (9.35m). They both went well above the CARIFTA standard of 23-2 ½ (7.07m).

No other competitor did the standard in their respective events, but Jeremiah Adderley of DTSP Wolfpack was just off the under-20 boys’ 100m B standard of 10.71 when he did 10.72 to win. However, Andrews and Carlos Brown, also of Swift Athletics, already attained the A standard.

Hurray Murray’s Raywind Winder clocked 2.03.23 to win the under- 17 boys’ 800m, but he needed to run 2:00.14 to qualify.

Quick Step’s Andrew Brown also came close in the under-17 boys’ 100m, running 11.34, but he missed the B standard of 11.24. The A standard is 11.02.

Fast Forward’s Paige Archer was a double winner in the under-20 girls’ division, but she was short of the qualifying standard in both the 200 and 400m. In the half-lap race in the 200m, she ran 24.51 with the standard at 23.95 and in the 400m, her time of 55.80 was shy of the B standard of 55.85. The A standard is 54.76.

Star Trackers’ Nia Richards took the under-20 girls’ 100m in 12.28. The A standard is 11.69 and the B is 11.92.

The closest any athlete in the under-17 girls came to her standard was Swift Athletics’ Shayann Demeritte in the 100m in 12.94. The B standard is 12.20 and the A standard is 11.96.

The meet also saw athletes in the under-13 and under-15 age groups as well as the open division.

SPIA’s Joel Johnson, making his return after an injury prone season over the past three years, went up from the 100/200 double to contest the 400m for some endurance workout, winning in 48.85. His closest rival was his teammate Yorick Dean in 50.06.

Former decathlete national record holder Ken Mullings sped to victory in the open men’s 100m in 10.80.

Brianique Strachan of the Ambassadors took the open women’s 100m in 12.77, but she had to settle for second in the 200m in 26.91 behind SPIA’s Breanna Pratt in 25.43.

Power Athletics’ Printassia Johnson took the 400m in 57.67 over University of the Bahamas’ Romica Josey, who did 59.62.

Brianna Bootle of 3PA Stallions doubled up in the under-13 girls’ 100m in 13.31 and the 200m in 27.15, while Fast Forward’s Zoe Adderley duplicated the feat in the under-15 girls 100m in 12.86 and the 200m in 26.62.

And on the field, Xtreme Athletics’ Terrell McCoy posted a pair of victories in the under-15 girls shot put with 34-10 ¼ (10.62m) and the discus with 98-8 (30.07m).

Team Velocity’s Kamron Henfield swept the under-13 boys’ sprints in the 100m in 12.91 and the 200m in 26.46 and his teammate Anthony Saunders got a double as well in the 400m in 1:03.90 and the 800m in 2:31.77.

And in the under-15 boys’ division, Swift Athletics’ Roilinny Labranche captured the under-15 boys’ 100m in 12.02 and the 200m in 23.93. Redline Athletics’ Eagan Neely won the 400m in 55.03 and Hurry Murray’s Tieano Ferguson came through in the 800m in 2:22.33.

Stephanie Stubbs, one of the coaches for the Roadrunners, headed by Dexter Bodie, said the meet turned out to be a very good one. “The kids performed very well. A few of them hit some PRs (personal best), so that was good for them,” she said.

As for the meet being staged in the COVID-19 environment, Stubbs said the athletes didn’t allow the restrictions put in place by the Ministry of Health to dampen their spirits.

“They are still excited about track and even though there are precautions that they have to take, they are willing to take them because they want to be in this environment,” she said.

“So it’s a good space for a lot of these kids to be in. Despite COVID-19.”