NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Local hero Shaunae Miller ran a Championship record to complete the impressive 200/400 metres double on yesterday’s final day of the 42nd CARIFTA Games here at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
Miller, who won the 400m on Saturday’s opening day, ran her best ever race over the half-lap distance to hold off Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, who matched her stride for stride to the tape.
Miller’s time of 22.77 seconds erased World Junior champion Anthonique Strachan’s 2012 mark of 22.85. Jackson also got a personal best of 22.84 for second while Carmiesha Cox, also of the Bahamas, took third in 23.66.
“It was a stiff race but I just came out to enjoy myself, and in the end it made me happy,” Miller said afterward.
Shanee Angol of Dominica and St. Lucian Jeanelle Scheper were also in record breaking form on the day.
Angol’s record came in the Under-17 javelin for girls with a throw of 43.89 metres, on her very first attempt. The mark bettered that of 42.90m set in 2007 by Deandra Dottin of Barbados.
Hayley Matthews of Barbados picked up silver with 40.30 and Cayman Islands’ Daneliz Thomas, bronze with 37.99m.
In the high jump Under-20 girls’ final, Scheper cleared 1.87 metres to beat the old record of 1.86m set by St Lucian Lavern Spencer.
Akela Jones, who won gold for Barbados in the long jump, claimed second with a clearance of 1.80, the same height Thea Lafond of Dominica leapt for bronze.
“It was just a great day. I am very happy to be here,” Scheper said. “I was very happy to compete in my last CARIFTA Games, the most exciting track meet I get to jump at every year.”
Two Jamaicans, meanwhile, completed sprint double victories to compensate for the country’s poor showing in the 100m events on Saturday as Natalliah Whyte and Martin Manley dismissed their challengers.
Whyte added the Under-17 girls 200m to her 100m triumph by clocking 23.65, to beat the Bahamas’ Jenae Ambrose (24.04) while Manley topped the boys’ event in 21.35 to go with his 400m title.
Mario Burke, Barbados’ 100m champion, just missed out in 21.42.
Whyte described the feeling as “overwhelming” and added: “I can’t even find words to explain how I feel.”
In the sprint hurdles, France’s World Junior bronze medallist, Belocian Wilhem, representing Guadeloupe, prevented a Jamaican clean sweep with victory in the 110m hurdles for Under-20 boys.
He stopped the clock at 13.49 seconds ahead of Omarl McLeod of Jamaica who was timed at 13.57 for silver.
Jamaica won the other three events – the Under-20 girls final with Megan Simmonds (13.89), the Under-17 with Rushelle Burton (13.96) running into a -3.3m/s wind and the boys Under-17 110m hurdles with Jaheel Hyde (13.86).
Meanwhile, Mark London of Trinidad & Tobago clocked one minute, 51.34 seconds to beat Andre Colebrooke of the Bahamas (1:51.43) for the boys Under-20 800m title while Simoya Campbell of Jamaica took the girls event in 2:06.22 over Barbados’ Sonia Gaskin (2:06.84).
In the Under-17 section, Rayon Butler of Jamaica (1:58.62) captured the male title while Faheemah Scraders of Bermuda took the women’s title in 2:11.62.
Andwuelle Wright of Trinidad & Tobago took the Under-17 boys long jump with a leap of 7.29 metres while his teammate Hezekiel Romeo topped the boys’ Under-20 shot put field with a throw of 18.66m.
