Carifta bound athletes Cherisse Murray, Nicholas Landau and Kershon Walcott were winners on the first day of action at the 2011 Southern Games at Guaracara Park, Point-a-Pierre, yesterday. Murray captured the women's shotput finals with a throw of 13.35 metres. The Toco Tasat thrower finished ahead of veteran Geraldine George (Petrotrin Palo Seco) whose best distance was 12.28 metres.In third place was another Carifta athlete, Shauna Downey (Burnley) with 11.97 metres. Murrey and Downey will represent T&T in the Girls' under-17 shotput and discus event at the 2011 Carifta Games in Montego Bay, Jamaica from April 23-25.
Landeau (Air Bon Summit) ran away with the Boys' under-17 1500 metres in 4:33:21 beating Akeem Marshall (Toco Tasat) in second place (4:47:62) with Jevon Joseph (Air Bon Summit) in third (4:56:56). All three will make the trip to Jamaica.Walcott captured the men's Javelin with a big throw of 67.02 metres. The two-time defending Carifta champion beat his Toco teammate Hakin Smith who threw the metal spear to 64.8 metres. In third place was veteran thrower Rick Francis (Defence Force), 46.63m.Donicia Antoine (Toco Tasat) took the Girls' under-1 1500 metres (5:37:78) ahead of Javannah Moreno (Point Fortin New Jets) 5:43:60 and Mikela Baptiste (D'abadie progressive) 4:48:54.
Travis Davis (Penal AC) was the winner of the Boys' under-20 race in 4:23:42. Jeffran Figaro (Petrotrin Palo Seco) took the silver medal in 4:23:69 with Memphis' Jerreil Lewis in third (4:34:74). Jonathan Farinha (Abilene Wildcats) and Moriba Morain (Simplex) ran away with the Boys' under-17 and Boys' under-20 100 metres races respectively. Raylene Kerr (Cougars) and Adel Colrest (Southern Athletics) took the Girls' and Boys' under-13 100 meter titles.In cycling action, Mathias Stumpf of Germany captured the first cycling track event taking the 500 metre finals. Games continue today from 2 pm.