BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-AFTER a hiatus due to the Federation’s general elections last month, the nation’s athletes returned to the track this past weekend to continue their training for the 2010 season.
The highlight of this past Saturday’s (Feb. 6) development meet held at the Silver Jubilee Anniversary Stadium in Bird Rock was no doubt Nevisian Adrian Williams achieving the A qualifying standard for the Carifta Games with a Javelin toss of 54.62. Though no other athletes reached their marks, it was a good chance for them to shake off the rust and prepare for the many rapidly approaching competitions in 2010.
In the senior category of the Men’s 100m, Delwayne Delaney led the pack with a time of 11.08, while Miles Walters (11.28) and Vernelle Hodge (11.38) took second and third.
For the Men’s 100m Under-17, Adrian Williams set himself apart from the competition with a time of 12.16, well ahead of second and third place finishers Josiah Oyebefon (12.46) and Zeon Bass (12.56). The race was also run by international track star Virgil Hodge, who finished with a time of 12.21 as she continues to prepare for the European circuit and her second season as a professional athlete.
The female athletes had strong numbers in the 100m categories with Chloe Williams (13.81) winning the U-15 category, Arian Maynard (13.52) taking the U-17 and Elisa Claxton (12.83) for the U-20.
The female’s 200m was equally packed with athletes aiming to make the qualifying standards for such upcoming events as the Carifta Games, the Central America and Caribbean Junior Championships and the NACAC U-23 Championships.
Tyesja O’Loughlin emerged as the first place finisher in the Women’s U-13 200m with a time of 31.37, while Chloe Williams took the U-15 in 28.65, Noha Herbert won the U-17 category in 28.12 and Elisa Claxton claimed first for the U-20 in 25.88.
For the males an U-13 category was not contested, but Saeed Williams (27.92) and Lonzo Wilkinson (24.05) dominated the youths in the U-15 and U-17 200m categories, respectively.
The U-20 men contested two heats for the 200m, with Vernel Hodge posting a top time of 23.01 in Heat 1, followed by Miles Walters (23.27), Kadeem Smith (23.33) and Reginald Gumbs (24.24). In Heat 2, Aaron Bernire emerged victorious with a time of 24.23, followed by Errington Fyfield (24.50) and Michael Tross (24.34).
The 400m was contested by only two females, namely Renika Daniel (1:02.06) in the U-15 category and Daniella Warde (1:02.59) for the U-17. In the same event, males Obeyefon (54.44), Morvel Fahie (54.60), Royston Queeley (52.65) and Leron Ponteen (50.15) were the victors in the U-15 through 20-plus age divisions.
A similar showing was seen in the 800m, with only Shenella Mitchum (2:40.15) running for the females and Shaquille Barzey (2:32.24), Javid Stapleton (2:03.38) and O’Brian Huggins (1:59.84) winning out for the males.
Leronique Ponteen led in the Female Long Jump with a distance of 4.55m, while senior athlete Calvert Chiverton returned a good season start with 6.86m.
Saturday’s meet was the third for the season, but the St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletics Association plans to host at least two more meets this month before the first major competition of the year, the March 6 National Junior Championships & Carifta Trials.
