By Juanita Hooper
Tevin Garraway separated himself from CARIFTA Games bronze medalist Jason Yaw in the 200m of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) National Youth/Junior Championship yesterday afternoon at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.
Garraway, of the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) successfully defended his title clocking 21.8 seconds to beat Yaw of Running Brave Athletics Club (22.2 seconds) into second place on yesterday’s second day of the two-day event.
Garraway took control of the race from the initial start producing a burst of speed before being challenged by Yaw when 40m remained.
Dequan Vancooteen also of the PPYC finished behind Yaw in 22.6 seconds.
CARIFTA Games 200m bronze medalist, Tirana Mitchell, of Mercury Fast Laners (MFL) was equally impressive as Garraway in the Youth girls 200m outclassing National Schools Track and Field sprinter, Jevina Sampson and Avon Samuels, a member of the CARIFTA Games team.
Mitchell recorded 24.4 seconds in the 200m leaving Sampson and Samuels, athletes of Running Brave to battle for the remaining top positions on the podium. Samuels (25.6 seconds) was edged out by Sampson who clocked 25.4 seconds.
The Junior boys’ 200m saw Kevin Abbensetts winning the event in 22.2 seconds ahead of Ruralites Athletics Club Samuel Doris and Running Brave’s Selwyn Foster who finished second and third respectively in 22.7 second and 22.8 seconds.
Defending Junior 100m and 200m champion, Alita Moore and Tiffany Carto were unable to compete in the 200m after that race was scratched. Director of the competition, Mark Scott, explained that the event required three athletes to start but only had two registered athletes.
Abdemi Roberts, of PPYC, ran away with the Junior girls’ 800m in 2:33.4 seconds while Lotovia Moore of Ruralites won the Youth girls’ 800m in 2:46.0 seconds ahead of MFL’s Dominique Angoy (2:52.9 seconds) and Upper Demerara’s Kenesha Stephenson (3:10.0 seconds).
Seasoned middle distance athlete, Ornesto Thomas, of the University of Guyana Track and Field Club, switched gears in the 800m after the first lap to record 2:02.7 seconds ahead of Region Nine’s Quacy Winter who finished second in 2:17.4 seconds and Kester Duke’s 2:20.5 seconds.
Rondel Austin claimed the Junior boys’ category in 2:10.7 seconds ahead of Lyndon Headley (2:24.4 seconds) and Clarence Greene (2:38.4 seconds).
Greene won the Junior boys’ triple jump with his best leap of 12m 61cm ahead of Yoel Benjamin and Andre Williams who registered 12m 50cm and 11m 84cm. Joel Thom won the Junior category when he bounded 12m 65cm ahead of Damon Williams who leapt 12m 30cm. Greene returned in the field events to record another win in the Junior boys discus with a throw of 33m 92cm. Benjamin was second with 33m 20cm and Williams third with 28m 69cm.
The championships ended with the traditional 4x400m with spectators witnessing CARIFTA Games 400m bronze medalist Yaw anchoring for Running Brave’ with a splendid finish to win gold after receiving the baton in third place. The race was won in 3:32.6 seconds; UG and MFL clocked 3:33.3 seconds and 3.33.5 seconds to finish second and third respectively.
The female 4x400m was also won by Running Brave in 4:23.6 seconds; MFL finished second in 4:29.3 seconds.
Meanwhile, Carifta gold and silver medalist, Cassey George dominated the 1500m on day one of the Championship (Saturday). George recorded 5:04 seconds to win from Cassie Kirton (5:22.3 seconds) and Shantel Hinds (5:54.2 seconds).
Jevina Sampson, Arinze Chance and Selwyn Foster also won their 400m events. Sampson and Chance (Youth) clocked 58.7 seconds and 51.3 seconds; Foster (Junior) finished in 51.9 seconds.
Yaw clocked 10.8 seconds in the Youth boys’ 100m while Abbensetts recorded 10.7 seconds in the Junior boys 100m.
The championships were sponsored by Wartsila.
