SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC):
BAHAMIAN DERRICK Atkins scored the biggest win of his career when he landed the 100-metre gold medal at the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-23 Track and Field Championship on Saturday.
Atkins sped to a championship record 10.15 seconds to win the marquee event over American Carlos Moore at the Felix Sanchez Stadium.
In the men's 100 metres, Atkins lowered the two-year-old record of 10.21 by Curaçao's Churandy Martina, as he dismissed the American pair of Moore (10.26) and Chris Hargrett (10.28).
OTHER MEDALS
The best other finishes for the English-speaking Carib-bean were silver medals for Trinidad and Tobago's Jos-anne Lucas and Jamaican Wilbert Walker.
Walker had a best effort of 16.18 metres - his third jump - to get second in the men's triple jump as Cuban Osniel Tosca grabbed the gold in a championship record 17.01 metres.
T&T's improving national champion Lucas clocked 13.26 seconds to secure the runner-up spot in the women's 100-metre hurdles behind gold medallist Dawn Harper, of the U.S.A., who won in 10.06 seconds.
Lucas, who also collected 400-metre silver at the NCAA Division One last month, edged American Ashley Lodree, who stopped the clock at 13.31 seconds for the bronze medal.
Jamaican Nickiesha Wilson was fifth in 13.64 seconds.
BRONZE MEDALLISTS
There were bronze medals for Adonson Shallow, of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in the men's discus and Jamaican Isa Phillips in the men's 400 hurdles.
Shallow threw 50.19 metres for the bronze behind Adam Kuehl's championship record 59.04 metres and Rashaud Scott (53.36) in an American one-two finish.
American Ken Ferguson was also in meet record form, clocking 48.90 seconds to win the men's 400 hurdles ahead of his teammate Ruben McCoy (49.56) and Phillips (49.80). Fourth went to another Jamaican, Brian Steele, in 50.04.
There were no English-speaking Caribbean medals in the women's 100, as the U.S.A. copped gold and silver.
Cleo Tyson triumphed in a championship record 11.25 seconds, bettering Jamaican Nadine Palmer's 2004 mark of 11.39 seconds, chased by Shalonda Solomon (11.30).
Puerto Rico's Carol Rodriguez got third in 11.40 seconds, and the Jamaicans Nyoka Cole (11.57) and Rose-Mary Whyte (11.74) took fourth and sixth, respectively.
