Straker, Jonas, Martin eyeing more medals

…after good showing on third day

Javina Straker, Jonella Jonas and Ricardo Martin will all be looking to fly the Golden Arrowhead high once again after qualifying for the finals of their respective races on day three of this year’s Junior CARIFTA games which is on presently in St Lucia at the George Odlum Stadium.

Straker (2:14:74) and Jonas (2:15:86) will both be contesting the finals of the girls under 17 800 metre races while Martin (2:00:11) is down to run in the finals of the Boys under 17 800 metres today.

The three athletes are picking up where they left off on the opening day, when they did well on the track. Straker won Guyana’s lone gold medal at the games so far, winning the Girls under 17 1500 meters (4:42.89) while Jonas finished third (4:45.05) in the same race. Martin has already won a silver medal in the boys under 17 1500 metres clocking 4:45.05.

Meanwhile, things were not all bright and beautiful as the other athletes were not able to make it out of the preliminaries of their races and local track star Alika Morgan barely missed out on a medal in the women’s 3000 meter race.

Tiffany Carto (26:17) and Ianna Graham (26:39) both finished 6th place competing in heat one and two respectively of the Girls under 17 200 metres, while Chavez Ageday also failed to finish in the top bracket in his boys under 17 200 metres heat.

Morgan who placed second in the race last year told Stabroek Sports that her leg gave trouble early in the race and made it difficult for her to keep up. The 2008 sportswoman of the year who was troubled by an injury to her ankle said that she felt no pain but said that the loss was because of insufficient time for practice prior to the championships.

Coach of the team Leslie Blacks said that he is pleased with the third day’s performance of the Guyanese contingent and was confident that all of the athletes who made it through to the finals of their races, will medal.

He also pointed out that Straker and Jonas have both made the qualifying times for the IAAF World Youth Championship which will be held in Italy from July 8-12.