Caesar, Phillips storm to sprint doubles

Photo Finish! Compton Caesar leans in ahead of Emmanuel Archibald and Daniel Williams to take the crown of National 200m sprint champion. (Orlando Charles photo)
Photo Finish! Compton Caesar leans in ahead of Emmanuel Archibald and Daniel Williams to take the crown of National 200m sprint champion. (Orlando Charles photo)

Day Two of the 2017 Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) National Senior Championships lived up to its dramatic billing yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre as the junior athletes once again dominated proceedings.

Junior standouts, Compton Caesar, Chantoba Bright, Kenisha Phillips and Samuel Lynch all recorded wins while upstaging their more seasoned rivals.

Rising teen stars Caesar and Phillips recorded sprint doubles after storming to 200m victories a day after winning the blue riband 100m races.

Caesar and Phillips clocked 21.28s and 24.04s respectively to be crowned the National Champions in the half lap race.

The product of Linden romped home ahead of Emmanuel Archibald (21.36s) and the 400m winner, Daniel Williams (21.59s). Phillips outlasted 400m winner, Alita Moore (24.55s) and Onasha Rogers (24.63s) in one of the fastest all local female 200m races in recent history.

In the marquee 100m, Caesar bested the likes of Archibald (10.36s) and former National Champion, Rupert Perry (10.48s) who had to settle for the bronze. Tevin Garraway (10.72s), Owen Adonis (10.73s) and Yannick Williams (10.98s) placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Archibald, however, leaped to a gold medal in the men’s long jump in 7.53m. He was leaps and bounds ahead of Lurex Stewart (6.83m) and Lloyd McCurdy (6.67m).

Phillips snared the 100m gold after edging out arch rival Rogers (11.77s). Toyan Raymond (12.24s) joined the speedy duo on the podium.

Bright also recorded a double, but not on the track but in the field.

One day after disturbing the sand at 5.97m to easily win the long jump title ahead of Raymond (5.38m) and Cindy Fraser (5.38m), the Lindener return to win the triple jump in 12.24m. Fraser (10.71m) was second while Ruth Sanmoogan fouled in the finals.

Lynch, a silver medalist at the just concluded South American U-20 Championships took gold in the 800m final in 1m:54.21s after a supersonic run on the homestretch to relegate Quacy Morian (1m:54.42s) and Anfernee Headecker (1m:56.42s).

Road running star, Winston Missigher proved that he can also don the spikes and record the same fortune after he completed a distance double, winning the 1500m and 10000m races.

Missigher who ensured that a teen athletes would not relegate him, was a shade above the four-minute mark to win the mile event in 4.00.82s, besting Headecker (4m:01.85s) and Morian (4m:18.34s).

He then returned to win the 25-lap event in 33 minutes and 21.80s in front of club mate, Cleveland Thomas (34m:26.51s) and Colin Mercurius (37m:16.28s)

Thomas, however, took the 5000m race after the favourite, Missigher got up caught in traffic.

Thomas’ winning time was 16m: 24.44s. Trailing him were Jonathan Fagundes (17m: 27.95s) and Calvin Thomas (19m: 26.42s).

Other winner’s yesterday included: McCurdy (men’s triple jump), Natrina Hooper (women’s high jump), Tenesha Cort (women’s discus), Glen Hosea (men’s 110m hurdles) and Joanna Archer (women’s 800m).

Notes: Two national records (male and female javelin) were broken during the course of the annual championship. They were recorded by Cort (40.69m) and Leslain Baird (73.46m).