Ezekiel Newton and Keliza Smith powered to emphatic wins in the blue riband 100m races yesterday highlighting Day 4 of this year’s ‘Nationals’ currently underway at the National Track and Field Centre.
On a sunny day where several records tumbled, the fastest male and female of this year’s meet provided a reminder of their pedigree, leaving the competition behind their spikes to claim the boys U-17 and girls U-20 gold medals in the marquee event.
Smith, who disturbed the sand at 5.60m to claim the girls U-20 long jump gold medal on Tuesday, added the 100m gold yesterday at the meet which is celebrating its 60th edition after returning from a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The 19 year-old District 3 standout rocketed out the blocks and took control of the race straight out the drive phase. Barreling down lane four, she crossed the tape in 12.03s to put her name into the record books. The previous record, 12.21s was set by Toyan Raymond in 2017.
Linden’s Kwashiann Isaacs (13.60s) won the silver while Kenisha Green of East Bank Demerara, copped the bronze medal in 13.83s.
Newton 16, of District 4, blazed to his finals win in 10.79s after recording 10.62s in the heats which would have replaced the record set by Daniel William (10.65s) in 2017.
Nevertheless he was satisfied with his first place finish.
Isaac’s teammate, Omar James (11.01s) and Green’s teammate, Jaheel Cornette (11.12s) joined Newton on the podium.
Smith, who barely missed the podium in the 100m and 200m races at this year’s CARIFTA Games in Jamaica, is poised to earn her third gold medal when she competes in 200m event today.
Newton and Smith must have gotten added motivation from the younger sprinters Malachi Austin (11.34s) who broke the boys U-16 record earlier in the evening.
The 800m events also provided some record breaking excitement for the almost packed stadium.
In a gold medal, record-smashing run, Joshua McArthur of District 11 obliterated the U-14 two-lap record.
He finished the event in a stunning 2:11.97s, easily bettering the previous mark of 2:13.43 set by Samuel Henry in 2018.
Javon Roberts, this year’s CARIFTA Games silver medalist, was agonizingly close to entering the record books. Running against the clock, the District 3 standout clocked 2:01.80s.
The record stands at 2:01.43s set by Murphy Nash in 2017.
Other medalists at the games which was staged in April, Attoya Harvey and Narissa McPherson, both of District 3, were also running against the clock chasing meet records. However, the two athletes had to settle for just the gold medals.
Harvey soloed in at 2:26.06s for the U-18 girls event while McPherson did the same in 2:19.57s in the U-20 two-lap race.
Elsewhere in the field, teacher Overna Burnette and student Raulston Downer were also among the records.
Burnette of District 7 set a new shot put Female Teachers U-21 record of 8.65m, bettering the previous mark of 7.27m jointly set by Marcia Tyrell and Denoila Bristol in 2018.
The District 15’s high jumper, Downer, leaped to 1.79m to equal the boys U-20 record set by Okemi Porter in 2018.
Up to press time District 10 (Upper Demerara/Kwakwani) leads the Track and Field segment of the event on 237 points. They are closely followed by District 3 (West Demerara) on 225 points and District 4 (East Coast Demerara) on 203 points.
District 10, which won the cycling segment of the event, is chasing its 19th overall title.
The penultimate day of the annual event is scheduled to get underway this morning from 10:00hrs. The day’s activities are scheduled to be highlighted by the 200m and 1500m finals.
