Vashon McCarthy distinguishes himself with 2 gold medals - Observer photo
Jamaica ended day-2 of the 43rd Carifta Track and Field Championships in Fort-De-France, Martinique, with victories in three of four sprint relays.
The Under-20 Boys (Raheem Robinson, Jordan Chin, Michael O'Hara and Jevaughn Minzie) closed the day's events with a run of 39.38 secs. The Bahamas 40.35 secs and Trinidad & Tobago 45.32 were second and third respectively.
The Under-20 Girls clocked 44.16 secs to win, but with only three teams in the race, Trinidad & Tobago 45.32 and the Bahamas 45.47, the event will be listed as an exhibition race and will, therefore, not feature in the medal tally.
The team was building on an impressive opening day, netting in excess of 45 medals so far with 20-gold. (the medal tally unofficial). The Under-18 girls also won their relay in 44.80 secs with the boys' equivalent finishing 2nd after anchor runner Raheem Chambers pulled up injured metres from the finish line. So commanding was Jamaica's lead in the race that the team's 40.76 seconds was only two-hundredths of a second outside the winning time.
The country was equally dominant in the 400 metre hurdles and also claimed second place in all but the Under-18 boys' race where Durant Crooks did not start due to muscle soreness.
Shenice Cohen won the Girls Under-18 race from lane-6 in 59.72 secs beating a fading Shannon Kalawan 59.95. Kimone Green won a strong race from lane-1 to retain the Under-20 title in 58.47 secs. Andrenette Knight ran 59.61 secs.
Being the lone Jamaican in the Under-18 boys' final, Jaheel Hyde held his form though pressed by Barbadian Rivaldo Leacock and delivered gold in 50.99 secs. Leacock clipped the final hurdle and trailed home in 51.21 secs.
It was now left up to Marvin and Okeen Williams to preserve the trend in the hurdles.
Okeen who fell at the World Youth Championships in Ukraine last year, made no mistake this time around. Okeen caught Marvin over the final 100 metres and stopped the clock in 50.99 secs. Marvin was second in 51.22 seconds with Trinidadian Reuben Walters third.
Janel Fullerton finished second in the Heptathlon with 4,588 points, bettered by Chelsea Linton of Dominica 4,648 points. It was Fullerton's 3rd medal of the championships, following silver in the Under-18 Shot Put and Gold in the discus on Saturday.
Britnee Dixon also has a chance to finish with three individual medals. She claimed silver in the 3000 metres in 10-mins 03.27 secs where Jamaica also took the bronze with Shanieke Watson.
Dixon finished third in the 1500 metres and will go in the 800 metres on Monday's final day.
Juavaney James, the Under-18 1500 metres winner captured the double after winning the 3000 metres in 8-mins 59.15 secs. Teammate Shane Buchanan finished 2nd.
Jamaica's spectacular performances on the track were matched on the field as well, finishing 1-2 in the Boys' Under-20 High Jump with Clayton Brown defeating Christoffe Bryan on the countback. Both cleared 2.16 metres, but while Brown did it on is first jump, it took Bryan two more attempts to clear 2.16 metres.
Jamaica also finished 1-2 in the Girls' Under-20 Discus. Rochelle Fraser, the 2013 silver medallist stepped up to gold with 46.90 metres for her second gold of the meet following gold in the shot put on Saturday. Paul-Ann Gayle was second with 45.93 metres.
Ascot High's Vashon McCarthy has distinguished himself at this regional event after not competing at Boys and Girls' Championships due to academic ineligibility. McCarthy defended his Under-18 Shot Put title, hurling the implement 46.96 metres. Warren Barrett jr, the discus silver medaliist was third in the Shot Put with 45.93 metres. McCarthy had won the Discus Throw on Saturday.
Michael O'Hara looked awesome in clocking 20.52 seconds to win his 200 metres qualifying heat, as did Jevaughn Minzie who also went under 21 seconds.
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