Carifta Champion Keshorn Walcott captured the spotlight at the 2011 National Junior Track and Field Championships with a new national record throw in the boys under-20 javelin event. At the warm-up track of the Hasely Crawford Stadium, the tall Toco Secondary thrower impressed with a massive effort of 75.54m to improve on the previous best of 72.04 he set in taking the Carifta title on April 24 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The new mark represents the fifth time for the season that Walcott has set a new national record.
He started the year with 67.02m at the Southern Games on April 10, then improved to 67.32 and 69.01 at the Falcon Games the follow week and eventually set 72.04 in Jamaica. The Carifta champion opened with 61.71m before improving to 70.02 on his second throw. He then pulled out his best throw in the fourth round with a massive shot. All of his throws were superior to the second place Anderson Thompson's of Eastonians (38.03m) with another Eastonian athlete Michael Neptune in third (37.22m).
There were some concerns over the validity of Walcott's throw as a national record as the event took place at the warm-up track, which is uncertified. An official at the venue said the NAAA would determine if the mark will be ratified as record.
Hezekiel Romeo was also in record-breaking form. The Memphis athlete dominated the boys under-18 shot put with a massive throw of 18.87m to take gold. The Diego Martin Secondary student was well ahead of Carifta boys under-17 gold and silver medallist Shervorne Worrell (Zenith) 16.69m and Kenejah Williams (Jaguars) 14.23m. Akeem Stewart completed a throws double. The 2010 Carifta double medallist (silver discus/bronze shot put) landed the boys under-20 shot put on Saturday at Ato Boldon Stadium with a personal best throw of 17.54m. He then journeyed to the Hasely Crawford Stadium warm up area yesterday, to discus event with a throw of 47.52.
The Jaguars athlete beat Kyle Preudhomme (Unattached) 40.66m and Micah Mc Nish (George Clarke Striders), 37.61m into second and third places respectively. Williams captured the under-18 event with 44.75m ahead of Worrell (40.61m) with Mc Nish, who also competed in the under event (40.13m).
Sharisse Murray collected the girls under-20 shot/discus. The Burnley competitor first took the shot put on the Saturday with 10.85m and then the discus yesterday with 35.68m. Atiba Wright was another double winner. The Zenith athlete was victorious in the boys under-20 long jump and 110m hurdles events. The Harmon's SDA student claimed the long jump event with a distance of 6.94m to edge out Kerry Benjamin (Memphis) for the top spot, 6.93m. Machel Mark of Petrotrin Palo Seco was third with 6.31m. Wright, the 2009 Carifta silver medallist, then raced to gold in the sprint hurdles in 15.14 seconds, just missing the Pan American Junior Championships qualifying time of 14.80 second. His Zenith clubmate Akeem Duncan took silver in 16.65 seconds.
Carifta Double champion Machel Cedenio ran away with the boys under-18 400m in 47.56 seconds. The 15-year-old Quantum runner beat club-mate Jereem Richard (47.81) and Theon Lewis (Petrotrin Palo Seco) 48.30 into the minor places-all three dipping under the World Youth Championships mark of 48.50 seconds. Kernesha Spann (Neon Trackers) also made the World Youth standard in the girls under-18 event crossing the line in 55.35 (standard 55.50) ahead of Dominique Williams (Burnley) 56.28. Deon Lendore (Abilene Wildcats) won the boys under-20 one lap in 47.33 second, well ahead of Airbon Sonics' Kyle Johnson (50.17) and Ken Alexis (Neon Trackers) 50.41. Lendore missed the Pan American Juniors mark by 0.03seconds.
Moriba Morain (Simplex) blazed to victory in the boys under-20 100m in 10.36, just off his personal best of 10.31. The 2010 World Junior 200m finalist cruised home ahead of Jamol James (Memphis) 10.45) and Zenith's Kristian Joseph (10.60). All three attained the Pan Junior qualifying standard (10.60). Onika Murray sped to a personal best in the girls under-18 race clocking 11.85 seconds. The Quantum lass got home ahead of Chelsea Charles (Petrotrin Palo Seco) and Zakiya Denoon (Zenith) who also clocked personal best times (11.95, 11.98) as all three went under the World Junior qualifying mark 12.00 seconds.
The Boys under-18 dash was billed to be a fast race but a strong wind slowed the runners. Jonathan Mark-Constantine (Concorde) rebounded from an injury which prevented him from making the Carifta team to take the race in 11.09 (wind -1.9m/s). He finished ahead of the Carifta bronze medallist in the event, Nicholas Douglas (Zenith) 11.12 in the second of two races. Douglas' clubmate Ron Wright grabbed bronze after he topped the first race in 11.14. Multiple Carifta sprint queen Michelle Lee took another 100m title for Concorde, taking the girls under-20 event in 11.61 well ahead of Breana Gomes (Abilene Wildcats) 12.23 and Shenice Walkes (Concorde) 12.28. She was well under the Pan Am Junior requirement of 11.80. 2010 double Carifta champion Mark London (Zenith) won the boys under-18 1500m in 4:13:88. Akeem Marshall (Toco) was second 4:14:01 with Airbon Sonics' Jevon Joseph third (4:15:63). This year's Carifta boys under-17 1500m and 3000m gold medallist Nicholas Landeau did not finish the race because of injury.