Silver medallist in the 400m at last year’s World Junior Track and Field championships in Spain, oversea-0bsed athlete Kadecia Baird will spearhead the Guyana track and field team to this year’s CARIFTA Games to be held in Nassau, The Bahamas, from March 28-April 1.
Baird will lead the team of 11 announced by the Athletics Association of Guyana yesterday to the championships where she will be highly favoured to win the gold in the 400m event. She is also down to compete in the U20 200m.
The team also includes former Bishops’ High School student Ashley Tasher who migrated to the US a few years ago. Tasher, who left Guyana as the national U14 schools 200m record holder, attends Medgar Evers Preparatory School along with Baird but is listed as a long jumper for CARIFTA.
A third overseas-based athlete Syron McKenzie will compete in the boys U20 400m hurdles.
The local athletes named are Alita Moore, Cassie George, Jason Yaw, Avon Samuels, Tirana Mitchell and Jevina Straker.
Amanda Hermonstine has been named manager of the team while coach of Running Brave Athletics Club Julian Edmonds is the coach.
Mitchell, Samuels and Yaw will feature in the U17 sprint events while Moore will participate in the U20 sprints and the triple jump.
The 14-year-old George, the baby of the team, will be making her debut at the games in the girls’ U17 800 and 1500m while former two-time CARIFTA Games 1500 metres gold medalist Straker will compete in the U20 800 and 1500m.
