Reigning Carifta champion Tafari Waldron of Cougars track and field club will be several top junior track and field stars who will be in action at Carifta Trials at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on the weekend.
Waldron of Cougars, who copped the 2023 Carifta Boys Under-20 5,000 metres title in Nassau, Bahamas, has already dipped under the 16-minute and 35.51-second standard for the 5,000m set by the National Association of Athletic Administration of the T&T (NAAATT) when he clocked 16:31.57 at the Secondary Schools Championships at the Mucurapo-venue on February 21. The 2024 Carifta Games are set for St George's, Grenada from March 30 to April 1.
Waldron has also gone quicker than 1,500m barrier (4:11.49) when he sped to a personal best of 4:00.58 on the first day of the Schools Championships. He is among four others who have done so. One-A-Week's Omare Thompson (4:08.99), Jafha Woodley of Memphis Pioneers (4:10.29) and Darius Harding (Burnley), 4:11.16 are the others and with only two places available the race should be one to watch at the Trials.
Janae De Gannes (Bishop Anstey/Concorde) heads the list of four athletes who sailed over the 5.42m Girls U-20 long jump. She has done so twice reaching out to 6.25m at the NAAATT No 1 and improving to 6.40m at the NAAA No 2. The 2023 North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) U-18 girls' long jump and 4x100m gold medallist is joined by Hailey Lynch of Memphis Pioneers (5.74m), Nathaniela King (Concorde) and Naomi Pierce (Memphis Pioneers) have both registered distances of 5.46m. The event should be one the most keenly contested over the weekend.
De Gannes is also among four who have already gone quicker than the girls' U-20 200m 24.69 standard. She raced to World Under 20 qualifying time (24.40) of 24.27 at the North Regional Secondary Schools Championships on January 31. However, Kaziah Peters (Simplex), 24.62, Concorde's Symphony Patrick of Concorde (24.66) and Kadija Pickering (Abilene Wildcats), 24.68 are the others who will be aiming to finish in the top two places to get the nod to travel to Grenada. Zenith's Alexxe Henry is the lone qualifier in the girls' U-20 100m (11.81) with her 11.79 win at the Schools Championships. De Gannes, Patrick and Peters are also expected to contest the event.
The boys' U-17 triple jump should also be a mouth-watering encounter with four athletes hitting the 12.62m standard. Tyrique Vincent (Concorde) leads the qualifiers with his 13.39 winning effort at the NAAA No 2. Reuel Mc Ewen of Kaizen Panthers, Toco TAFAC's Dominice Maxwell and Mercury's Akinde McKenzie are the other standard bearers.
Vincent will also be vying for places in the high jump and long jump as he has also gone over the 1.81m and 6.34m standard, respectively. In the long jump, he has exceeded the standard on three occasions with a best of 7.02m (pb) while in the high jump, Vincent has also cleared the barrier three times with the highest mark of 1.90m (pb).
Omari Browne (Neon Wolves) should be his toughest rival in the long jump as he too has a trio of marks. Browne also leads the field in the boys' U-17 110m hurdles with three clockings quicker than the 14.78 standard. His best time is 14.61.
Another reigning NACAC girls' U-18 winner Peyton Winter (Burnley) will be the one to watch in the girls' U-17 shot put and discus. She made easy work of the 12.18m-shot put mark with no less than eight superior distances and also gone over the 32.94 required distance for the discus twice.
Tyrique's twin sister Tenique (Concorde) is also a multiple qualifier hitting the girls' U-17 high jump (1.56) on four occasions and the long jump's 5.42m three times.
Yet another NACAC U-18 champion Kadeem Chinapoo (Simplex) is the leading contender for the boys' U-17 100m and 200m sprints. Chinapoo sped to 10.77 and 10.80 in the 100m to go past the 11.03 standard. Zenith's Malakai Cordrner (11.02) and Cameron Powell of Phoenix (11.03) have also hit the standard. In the 200m, Chinapoo has zipped under the 22.24 standard with times of 22.06 and 22.14.
Kayleigh Forde (One-A-Week) has made light work of the girls' U-20 1500m 4:59.15 standard on three occasions hitting a pb of 4:50.91. Her club-mate Aniqah Bailey and Oshea Cummings (/Zenith) have both gone faster than the girls' U-17 5:07.73 standard twice. Cummings and Isis Gaskin (Phoenix) will be leading names for the girls' Open 3,000m as the pair has two clockings each quicker than the 11:27.65 qualifier.
Yet another One-A-Week runner Keiel Samuel will be seeking to secure his Carifta place after he got the boys' U-17 800m standard (2:02.00) with his 2:01.39 clocking at the NAAA No 2. Samuel also dipped past the 9:56.85 boys U-17 3,000m Carifta barrier with 9:51.07 along with Cougars' Isaiah Alder who has done so twice.
Jaydon Nedd (Unattached) has hit the 46.80 boys' U-20 discus standard at three meets with his time distance of 48.18.
Action at the Carifta Trials is to get underway at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday.
Carifta qualifiers
Under 17
Girls-9
200m (24.89)
Akira Malaver (Holy Faith-Penal/Simplex) 24.23, South Central Regionals (Jan 25)
400m (57.54)
Kyah Hyson (FAD) 55.89, NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 57.53, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Akira Malaver (Holy Faith-Penal/Simplex) 56.08, South Central Regionals (Jan 24); 56.33, NAAA #1 (Jan 07);
1500m (5:07.73)
Aniqah Bailey (One-A-Week) 4:54.31, NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 4:54.43, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Oshea Cummings (Mason Hall Sec/Zenith) 4:55.44, NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 5:02.31. Mercury Ignite (Jan 14)
400m hurdles (1:06.28)
Durliana Rouse (Holy Name-Pt. Fortin/Pt. Fortin New Jets) 1:06.85; 1:05.14, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
High jump (1.56)
Tenique Vincent (Bishop Anstey/Concorde) 1.60 & 1.65 North Regionals (Jan 30) ;1.70 & 1.60, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Long jump (5.42)
Tenique Vincent (Bishop Anstey/Concorde) 5.83 North Regionals (Jan 30); 5.44 Sec School Champs (Feb 21)
Xiah Tobias (Zenith) 5.44, NAAA #1 (Jan 07)
Shot put (12.18)
Peyton Winter (San Juan North Sec/Burnley) 13.87, Sec School Champs (Feb 21); 13.54 (12.95, 12.88, 13.53, 13.54) , NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 13.99 (North Regionals (Jan 30); 13.37 (13.37, 12.23, 13.18), NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Discus (32.94)
Peyton Winter (San Juan North Sec/Burnley) 33.43, NAAA #2 (Feb 03); 33.99, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Addalia Sylvester (Bishops High/Mercury) G U-17 Discus 33.15, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Boys-11
100m (11.03)
Kadeem Chinapoo (St. Benedicts/Simplex) 10.80, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Malaki Cordner (Zenith) 11.02, NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 10.77, South Central Regionals (Jan 24)
Cameron Powel (Phoenix) 11.03, NAAA #1 (Jan 07)
200m (22.24)
Kadeem Chinapoo (St. Benedicts/Simplex) 22.06 , South Central Regionals (Jan 25); 22.14, Sec School Champs (Feb 21)
800m (2:02.00)
Keiel Samuel (One-A-Week) 2:01.39, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
3000m (9:56.85)
Isaiah Alder (Cougars) 9:35.14, NAAA #1 (Jan 07) ; 9:50.26, N AAA #2 (Feb 04)
Keiel Samuel (One-A-Week) 9:51.07, NAAA #1 (Jan 07)
200m (22.24)
110m hurdles (14.78)
Omari Brown (Carapichaima West Sec/Neon Wolves) 14.65, Sec School Champs (Feb 20);
14.62, South Central Regionals (Jan 24); 14.61, NAAA #2 (Feb 03)
High jump (1.81)
Tyrique Vincent (Fatima/Concorde) 1.82 North Regionals (Jan 31); 1.87 & 1.90, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Michal Paul (St. Mary's/Concorde) 1.83, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Long jump (6.34)
Tyrique Vincent (Fatima/Concorde) 7.02 (North Regionals (Jan 31); 6.74, NAAA #2 (Feb 3) ; 6.65, Sec School Champs (Feb 21)
Omari Brown (Carapichaima West Sec/Neon Wolves). 6.39, NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 6.66 , South Central Regionals (Jan 25); 6.54, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Under 20
Triple jump (12.61)\Dominic Maxwell (Toco TAFAC) 12.78 (12.62, 12.78), NAAA #1 (Jan 07),; 13.01 N AAA #2 (Feb 04; Tyrique Vincent (Fatima/Concorde) 13.39 (13.30, 13.10, 13.34, 13.00, 13.39, 13.26), N AAA #2 (Feb 04); Reuel McEwen (Kaizen Panthers) 13.08 (13.01, 13.08), N AAA #2 (Feb 04); Akinde McKenzie (Mercury) 12.62, N AAA #2 (Feb 04);
Girls-12
100m (11.81)
Alexxe Henry (Signal Hill Sec/Zenith 11.79, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
200m (24.69)
Janae De Gannes (Bishop Anstey/Concorde) 24.27 (North Regionals, Jan 31); Kaziah Peters (Preysal Sec/Simplex) 24.62, Sec School Champs (Feb 21), 24.40, N AAA #2 (Feb 04); Symphony Patrick (Concorde) 24.66, N AAA #2 (Feb 04); Kadiha Pickering (Abilene Wildcats) 24.68, N AAA #2 (Feb 04);
1500m (4:59.15)
Kayleigh Forde (St. Joseph Convent-POS/One-A-Week) 4:57.77, North Regionals (Jan 30); 4:50.91, NAAA #2 (Feb 04) ; 4:58.01, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
3000m (11:27.65)
Oshea Cummings (Mason Hall Sec/Zenith) 10:57.89, Sec School Champs (Feb 21); 11:25.39. Mercury Ignite (Jan 14)
Isis Gaskin (Bishops East/Phoenix) 11.04.54 (North Regionals (Feb 1); 10:58.31, Sec School Champs (Feb 21);
High jump (1.64)
Kernesha Shelbourne (Oasics) 1.65, NAAA #1 (Jan 07)
Long jump (5.42)
Janae De Gannes (Concorde) 6.25 (5.82, 6.12, 6.25), NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 6.40 (6.40, 6.16) , NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Hailey Lynch (Memphis Pioneers) 5..74, NAAA #1 (Jan 07)
Nathaniela King (Providence/Concorde) 5.46 North Regionals (Jan 31)
Naomi Pierce (Memphis Pioneers) 5.46, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Discus (40.21)
Adrianna Quamina (DPAC) 40.62v (40.50, 40.62), , NAAA #1 (Jan 07)
Boys-9
200m (21.55): Kyrell Thomas (St. Francis Boys/Cougars) 21.44, NAAA #2 (Feb 04); Daeshaun Cole (Abilene Wildcats) 21.50, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
400m (48.48)
Kyrell Thomas (St. Francis Boys/Cougars) 48.34 North Regional (Jan 30); 48.16, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
800m (1:55.77): Nathan Cumberbatch 1:47.78i, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA (Jan 27 )
1500m (4:11.49)
Tafari Waldron (Queen's Royal/Cougars) 4:00.58, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Omare Thompson (One-A-Week) 4:09.47, NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 4:08.99, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
Darrius Harding (Barataria North Sec/Burnley) 4:11.16, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
Jahfa Woodley (St. Anthony's/Memphis Pioneers) 4:10.29, Sec School Champs (Feb 20)
5000m (16:35.71)
Tafari Waldron (Queen's Royal/Cougars) 16:31.57, Sec School Champs (Feb 21)
Long jump (6.88)
Kimani Kent Kiazen Panthers) 6.91. Mercury Ignite (Jan 14)
Discus (46.80)\
Jaydon Nedd (Unattached) 47.73 (47.73, 47.14) , NAAA #1 (Jan 07); 48.18. Mercury Ignite (Jan 14); 47.50, NAAA #2 (Feb 04)
