Trials highlight continued growth in the field

Athletes competing in the field events over the three days of the Carifta Trials at the National Stadium had some very good results, with three picking up double wins.

Leading the way was the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletic Championships (Champs) Class 1 defending double champion Michael Andre Edwards of Jamaica College in the long and triple jumps. Edwards showed that he is ready to defend both titles at Champs after winning both events at the Trials. He captured the Boys’ under-20 long jump with 7.36 metres and the triple jump with 15.78.

There were three double winners among the women in Able Deborah of the University of Minnesota, Zavien Bernard of Hydel, and Dashanelle Clarke of Edwin Allen.

Deborah, who was a top-three finisher in Class 1 at Champs last year in the discus and shot put while representing St Catherine High, was a cut above her peers, winning both events easily. Her first win came in the under-20 shot put with a heave of 14.38 metres. Then she returned to take the discus with a throw of 49.86. On both occasions, she had the outstanding Marla Kay Lampart of Clarendon College in second place with 13.40 in the shot put and 47.49 in the discus.

Competing in the under-20 high and long jumps, Bernard showed her readiness for Champs after capturing both events, winning the high jump with a clearance of 1.70 metres and the long jump with a distance of 5.92.

The other double winner came in the under-17 division as Edwin Allen High Class 3 jumper Clarke looked in good nick. Clarke first won the long jump with 5.67, and after trailing in second place for most of the competition, used her final effort to capture the triple jump with 11.98.

There were other outstanding performances at the meet, led by Jamaica College’s Class 1 athlete Joseph Salmon in the under-20 boys’ discus, an event he won with a throw of 63.44. Earlier, he ended third in the shot put with 17.02, behind winner Khaleel Henry of Calabar with 17.98 and Javantae Smith of Munro with 17.93.

Michael Neil of Kingston College and Kabiki Thomas of Wolmer’s Boys’ set the stage for a big showdown in the Class 1 high jump in two weeks after both had a battle royal in the under-20 event, each clearing 2.05, with Neil getting the win on countback.

There were also good performances among the boys in the under-17 division from Jhaiden Michael Williams of St Jago, who won the discus with 52.68, and Talshawn Edwards of Calabar, who won the long jump with 7.20.

On the female side, Zoelle Jamal of Immaculate Conception maintained her good form in the javelin, winning the under-20 event with a throw of 46.95. Dajounae Rudolph of Holmwood Technical also had an impressive win in the under-17 girls’ discus with a distance of 44.73.