Source: www.guardian.co.tt
By: Clayton Clarke
Ayanna Alexander followed up her Central American and Caribbean (AC) Championships triple jump gold medal performance with a national record on the second and final day at the 2011 Hampton Games at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on the weekend. Alexander shrugged off the challenges of competing alone and thrilled the fans with a new national outdoor mark of 13.98 m (+0.8) with her first jump to improve the standard of 13.96 metres she set at the 2009 National Championships.
The 2010 Commonwealth silver medallist then showed great consistency with three leaps 13.90m or better (13.98, 13.71, 13.93, 13.94, 13.90 and 13.68). All her jumps were better than her previous 2011 best distance of 13.60, set in Texas in April. Jeminise Parris was another top performer of the meet racing to three gold medals. The Memphis Pioneers lass took the girls under-15 200m dash in 26.03, ahead of Jada Barker (Cougars) 26.11 and Gabrielle Tobierres (Pace Setters-St Lucia) 26.91 in a repeat of the 100m finals held on Saturday.
Parris also took the 400m in 58.95. The triple triumph is the third for the 2011 Carifta competitor after her performances at the National Secondary Schools Championships in March and the Juvenile Champs in June. Adell Colthrust raced another impressive sprint double. The Southern Athletics youngster completed the half lap race in 25.86 to add to the 100m crown.
Memphis Kadeem did the boys under-15 100/200 double (11.55/23.52). Jamaican Zara Northover won the women’s shot put (16.05m) while her compatriot Yanique Levy leaped to victory in the women’s long jump (6.11m). Ashley Roberts (Track and Field Academy-Barbados) took the women’s high jump (1.45m). Sharisse Downey (Burnley) claimed the women’s discus gold (36.25m).
Eastonians Nicholas Blackford emerged champion in the men’s Javelin (42.74m), Dover Herbert striking gold in the men’s long jump (7.30m, +3.0) ahead of Damion La Pompe (Western Jets), 6.77m. The pair traded places in the triple jump with La Pompe taking the gold with 14.55m with Herbert settling for second (14.13m).