‘De Gold Striders Games’ generated competition “beyond measure”

–  organizing committee director

By Tamica Garnett
Derill Gittens, director of the Organizing Committee of the athletics event ‘De Gold Striders Games’ says that he was very pleased with the level of competition last Sunday’s meet generated and the ease with which things were executed despite the inclement weather.

Derill Gittens

“The level of competition was beyond measure, it was at a very high standard. Apart from Alicia Fortune in the 200m and 400m, Wayne Harlequin in the 800m and 400m, and Neisa Allen’s 200m and 100m wins, all the other events were keenly contested,” Gittens stated.

“It was no runaway victory, it was a case where you had to put yourself out there,” he added.

Indeed, the athletes from the five participating bodies, put up spirited performances as each club vied for top honours despite the rain and encroaching darkness.

To the apprehension of the other participants, the Rising Stars and Running Braves athletics clubs joined forces registering as a single unit giving the competition an explosive edge.

Former national athlete Leticia Myles gained a well deserved victory in the under-17 200m over Ashley Tasher, who had previously won the Under-17 girls 400m and 100m ahead of Myles.

Ashley Tanner poses with the champion girl trophy at the De Gold Striders Games last Sunday.

Myles took second spot in the 100m while she was relegated to third in the 400m with Royals’s Elisha Daniels in second place.

Jevina Straker of Rising Stars gave no indication that she had run a 10-kilometre race earlier that morning in the Olympic Day event.

Straker secured her customary win in the Under-17 girls’ 1500m, never letting up despite running the entire event in the rain.

She later turned in another superb performance to win the Under-17 girls 800m.

In the female Open category former national champion Anarika February won the 1500m but settled for second in the 800m when Shaunsel Adams stepped on the scene.

However, neither could compete against the strength of Fortune who won the female Open 400m with Adams second and February third.

From left, Teon De Mattos, Shawn Semple and Jamall Derell battle to the finish in the Under-23 200m.

In the Open 200m, Fortune made easy work of her rivals while Royal’s Mawava Simon battled for second place from club mate Tesnica Lovell.

From the track Fortune stepped onto the field to try her hand at the discus and earned a third spot behind Phillycia Burke and Lashauna Benjamin who took first and second respectively.

In the female category, all points from the intermediate Under-23 division went to the Running Braves/Rising Stars Athletic Clubs partnership.

Rising Stars’ Alika Morgan did not let down the droves of spectators screaming from the stands as she won the Under-23 800m but her customary 1500m and 3000m races were cancelled owing to a lack of participants.

And top sprinter Neisa Allen from Running Braves gave her usual dominant performance in all the sprints, taking wins in the Under-23 400m, 200m, and 100m. Morgan was second in the 400m while Royal’s Mercedes Forde finished second in the 200m and 100m.

Royals’ Shanna Thornhill in the female Under-20 category was first in the 400m and 100m, but lost her grip in the 200m to come in third behind Running Braves Iana Graham who won the event and Royals’ Tenisha Punch in second place.

In the female javelin throw Robin Thomas was first followed by Lashauna Benjamin.

In the men’s Open Cleveland Thomas took two firsts in the 1500m and 5000m and two second place finishes in  the 800m and 400m, behind Wayne Harlequin in the latter two events.

Harlequin went on to take second place in the 200m, behind Trieston Joseph. Jhermaine Luthers came in third place in the 400m and 200m.

The Under–20 male 1500m and 800m went to Mercury’s Trevon George while Running Braves’ Stephan James followed with first place in the 400m and 200m.

Running Braves’ Jonathan Fagundes made easy work of the 1500m in the under-23 category, coming in ahead of Keith Gordon and Royals’ Philip Drayton. But it was Drayton who returned to rule in the 800m putting Fagundes down to second place followed by Alex Murray in third. Philip in his earlier 400m took second to Ruralites’ Alton Seaford.

In the Open category it was a photo finish for the 200m as Teon Demattos earned a win scarcely ahead of fellow club mate Jamall Darrel and Running Braves’ Shawn Semple in third. The 100m saw a rearrangement of positions as the same three returned to dominate with Darrel taking first place this time around followed by Semple and DeMattos.

In the male discus throw Vallen Adams took first place followed by Japhett Hacket and Uzzi Yisrael. Adams returned to take the win in the javelin followed by Yisrael.

Ashley Tasher captured the title of ‘Champion Girl’ from sprinting sensation Fortune while Cleveland Thomas made a clean sweep to be the ‘Champion Boy.’

With their mass of wins, Royal Youth Movement accumulated 585 points to emerge the winning club of the meet, followed by Running Braves/Rising Stars Athletics Clubs with 521.

The collaboration of Mercury and Enmore accumulated 212 points to take third place and sole school participant Tutorial High got the fourth place position with 91 points.