Karese Lloyd, Ezekiel Newton and Keliza Smith each recorded sprint doubles as the curtains came down on the two-day National Youth and Juniors Championships yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre.
One day after powering across the line in the blue riband 100m, the diminutive Lloyd of the Running Brave Athletic Track Club, brought her talents back to lane four to record a sprint double.
The 17-year-old, who mirrors the look and the technique of Sha’Carri Richardson, got off to a blistering start, building a lead off the bend which she never relinquished as she crossed the line in to cap a flawless weekend with two gold medal efforts.
Smith, 18, however, went one-up on Lloyd winning the 100, 200m and snaring a silver in the long jump event in the girls 18-19 category.
Prior to disturbing the sand at 5.26m, Smith, who was jumping at the time, raced to the 200m mark and turned back the challenges of Brianna Charles (24.69s) and Annalisa Redmond (26.02s) in 24.16s.
Her gold and silver medal winning efforts yesterday came on the heels of her winning the marquee 100m final in a personal best of 11.60s Saturday afternoon.
At 16, Newton will be one to watch as the muscular Bladen Hall student, stormed his way to 200m gold in 22.57s after going a shade above 11 seconds on Saturday to win the blue riband 100m final.
The promising sprinter held off the challenges of Randy Duke (23.36s) and Deliza Lyken (23.38s) to bag two gold medals for the weekend.
Other standouts of the two-day event, which attracted the cream of the nation’s teen athletes included Adriel Austin, winner of the girls 14-17 400m and 800m, Shaquka Tyrell, winner of the girls 18-19 800 and 1500m races along with Matthew Gordon who won the boys 18-19 800m and 1500m races.
Wesley Tyndall was the best long jumper on show. The 17-year-old had the best leap among all jumpers with a jump of 6.99m.
The event, which will be used as one of the gauges to select a team to represent Guyana at the South American Junior Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador next month, was dubbed a success by President of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson. (Emmerson Campbell)
