Source: www.guardian.co.tt
MAYAGUEZ—T&T ended in third place in the medals standing, behind Jamaica and Mexico, at the end of the Central American & Caribbean Senior Championships on Sunday. The Jamaicans grabbed 26 medals, including 10 gold, six silver and 10 bronze, enough to lead Mexico (7-6-7) and T&T (6-3-5), Bahamas (5-2-3), and Cuba (5-2-0). A final day that featured victories for sprint hurdlers Vonette Dixon and Eric Keddo, as well as distance runner Korene Hinds, and the women’s mile relay squad propelled Jamaica to the top of the medal standings. Dixon impressed with a season best time of 12.77 seconds in the women’s 100 metres hurdles while Keddo was second in the men’s 110 hurdles. Hinds grabbed the 3000 steeplechase gold with a time of nine minutes, 54.67 seconds – just 0.66 outside of the meet record held by compatriot Mardrea Hyman six years ago in Nassau, where she was second.
She prevailed over local favourite and CAC Games champion Beverly Ramos (9 mins, 58.11 secs). The mile relay team comprising 400 hurdles winner Andrea Sutherland, 400 champion Shereefa Lloyd, 800 bronze medallist Natoya Goule, and Patricia Hall, who also anchored the sprint relay team to a silver on Saturday, got the gold, well ahead of the Dominican Republic (3:34.73) and T&T (3:34.84). Nivea Smith clocked 22.80, and Michael Mathieu ran 20.60 to complete a Bahamian sweep of the 200s, the latter beating defending champion Rondell Sorillo of T&T by just four hundredths of a second. In the final race of the Championships, Bahamas, including 2001 World 400 champion Avard Moncur, finished in 3:01.33 to again narrowly beat T&T (3:01.75) for the men’s mile relay gold, with Jamaica holding on for third in 3:02.00. T&T’s Cleopatra Borel-Brown also claimed a gold medal with a distance 19m flat in the women’s shot putt.
Top 5
G S B Total
Jamaica 10 6 10 26
Mexico 7 6 7 20
T&T 6 3 5 14
Bahamas 5 2 3 10
Cuba 5 2 0 7