The USA's Max King and Delilah Dicrescenzo won the Open Men's 8K and Open Women's 6K respectively at the Sixth Annual North America Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships at the Mt Irvine Golf Course in Tobago yesterday. The 30-year-old King (23.48.2) completed the course comfortably ahead of his teammates Michael Spence (24.06.0) and Robert Mack (24.25.1) who placed second and third respectively. The fourth spot was also occupied by an American, Thomas Kloos in 24.33.7, while Guyanese Cleveland Forde (24.33.7) was the first Caribbean athlete to cross the line. 34-year-old Richard Jones, who placed fourth in the CLICO International Marathon in January, was T&T's best runner, placing 11th in 26 minutes, 12.5 seconds. Next up were Curtis Cox (15th; 26.52.4) and George Smith (20th; 27.42.5) respectively.
USA was the event's top team with its top four runners recording a combined time of one hour, 36 minutes and 55 seconds. Mexico (1.41.05), Guyana (1.45.39), and T&T (1.48.47) followed in second, third and fourth respectively. The Americans also dominated the Open Women's 6K, accounting for four of the top five places. Emily Harrison (21.01.2) copped the silver after 27-year-old Dicresenzo crossed the line in 20.49.5 while Mexican Anayeli Navarro Caste Ed, 24, came in third in 21.20.8. T&T's top finishers were 19-year-old Samantha Shukla (24.03.3), 21-year-old Shermin Lasaldo (25.06.6) and 31-year-old Paulette Luces (25.36.0) in 11th 12th and 13th respectively.
USA was the top Women's team with Mexico in second and T&T in third.
Jamaican Kemoy Campbell won the Junior Men's 6K in 17.59.9 and Genevieve Lalonde of Canada took the gold in the Junior Women's 4K in 13.49.4. More than 120 athletes hailing from Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, US Virgin Islands and USA took part in the event which was held in the Caribbean for the first time. Before the races began, the National Association of Athletic Administration hosted a middle and long distance seminar conducted by 800m world record holder Wilson Kipketer at the Mt Irvine Hotel.
(NC)
