National cyclists, Kwesi Browne and Devante Laurence, emerged as the top performers for Arima Wheelers Cycling Club (AWCC) during the 2022 season and were among those honoured at the club’s “Recognising Success” awards function and dinner, held recently at Alenore Gardens, Arima.
Browne received the "International Elite Cyclist of the Year" trophy while Laurence, T&T’s lone male representative at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Israel, got the club’s "Most Outstanding Male Junior Cyclist" award.
Browne continued to be the Arima Wheelers standard bearer in 2022, representing T&T at the World Championships in France, the Commonwealth Games in England and the Pan American Championships in Peru.
The Olympian also competed at three Nations Cup events, the T-Town Summer Games in Pennsylvania, USA and the Caribbean Championships here in Trinidad.
Browne dominated his rivals at the Caribbean Championships, thrilling the home crowd at the National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva with triple gold.
The 28-year-old sprint cyclist won the men’s sprint and keirin events and teamed up with Zion Pulido and Arima Wheelers teammate Ryan D’Abreau for team sprint gold. There was silver too for Browne, the “Pride of Arima” finishing second in the elimination race.
Browne was a keirin finalist at both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Am Championships, and at the Pan Am Championship, he combined with Nicholas Paul and Pulido for the men's team sprint title.
Browne earned two gold medals and a bronze at T-Town and captured the sprint/keirin double at the National Championships.
Laurence wore national colours at the Caribbean Championships, completing his campaign with gold, silver and bronze. He dominated the junior men’s scratch race at the Caribbean meet, lapping all his rivals to strike gold in emphatic fashion. The 18-year-old cyclist also earned junior men’s sprint silver and junior men’s elimination bronze.
In the semifinal round of the sprint, Laurence produced one of the rides of the Championships. He closed a huge gap on Jarel Mohammed, powering past his rival on the home straight to grab victory and earn a spot in the final. In the Flying 200 metres, the qualifying event for the sprint, Laurence clocked a personal best 11.277 seconds.
D’Abreau was named Arima Wheelers "Male Elite Cyclist of the Year", with the female equivalent award going to Caribbean Championship women’s team sprint gold medallist Adrianna Seyjagat. Alexia Wilson, the Caribbean junior women’s 500m time trial champion, received the club’s "Most Outstanding Female Junior Cyclist" trophy, while the "Most Improved" award went to men’s team sprint gold medallist Kyle Caraby.
At the Caribbean Championships, D’Abreau stopped the clock at a personal best 10.968 seconds in the men’s Flying 200. Caraby, who competed in the team sprint qualifying round before making way for D’Abreau in the final, also produced a personal record (PR) in the 200m, getting to the line in 10.986. There were Flying 200 PRs too for Seyjagat and Wilson. Both female sprinters clocked 13.061.
Jodi Goodridge was among the inductees as Arima Wheelers launched its Hall of Fame at the awards function and dinner. A Junior Pan American Championship team sprint winner and 500m time trial bronze medallist, Goodridge was named 2012 First Citizens Sports Awards Junior Sportswoman of the Year. She was also honoured in that category at the 2012 T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) Awards.
Goodridge’s cousins, Aziza Browne and Sei Daniel were also in the spotlight at the inaugural Arima Wheelers Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Aziza, sister of Kwesi and daughter of club president Joel Browne, shared Pan Am Juniors team sprint gold with Goodridge.
Sei, son of Arima Wheelers head coach Fitzroy Daniel, bagged Pan Am Juniors keirin bronze in 2015. That year, he also competed at the UCI World Junior Track Championships, in Kazakhstan. Goodridge, Aziza, Kwesi and Samuel Mahabir all represented T&T at the 2012 World Juniors meet, in New Zealand.
Pan Am Juniors team sprint champion Mahabir, Caribbean Road Championship and Junior Pan Am 500m time trial bronze medallist Denese Francis-Girod, and Pan Am Juniors team sprint silver medallist Chaquille Henry were also inducted into the Arima Wheelers Hall of Fame while the contributions of Joy Abigail John and Dominique Lovell were acknowledged as well.
Certified athletic trainer Dr Jason Pilgrim delivered the feature address, while sports councillor Brennon Patterson spoke on behalf of the Arima Borough Corporation, and T&T Cycling Federation (TTCF) president Rowena Williams sent recorded greetings.
In his Arima Wheelers president’s address, Joel Browne urged parents to support the young cyclists.
“At the early ages, it’s much more important that the children enjoy cycling. Don’t be too hung up on winning.
“We look forward to see the children develop over the years,” the 2022 Arima Wheelers Most Outstanding Masters 60+ Cyclist continued. “At AWCC we strive for holistic development.”
Honour roll:
Most Outstanding International Elite: Kwesi Browne
Most Outstanding Male Elite: Ryan D’Abreau
Most Outstanding Female Elite: Adrianna Seyjagat
Most Outstanding Male Junior: Devante Laurence
Most Outstanding Female Junior: Alexia Wilson
Most Outstanding Male Juvenile: Jelani Nedd
Most Outstanding Male Tinymite: Kafele De Sormeaux
Most Outstanding Masters 60+: Joel Browne
Most Improved: Kyle Caraby
Most Outstanding Male U-13 Youth Developer: Isaiah Sobers
Most Outstanding Male U-11 Youth Developer: Shane Seyjagat
Most Outstanding Female U-11 Youth Developer: Scarlette Thorne
Most Outstanding Male U-9 Youth Developer: Sakeeri Dyette
Most Improved Youth Developer: Lemuel Douglas
Hall of Fame inducte: Denese Francis-Girod, Aziza Browne, Jodi Goodridge, Sei Daniel, Samuel Mahabir, Chaquille Henry
