Reigning North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Girls Under-18 champion Peyton Winter heads the list of local athletes who have attained the qualifying standards for this year’s Carifta Track and Field Championships to be hosted at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain from April 19-21.
Winter, who took the NACAC Girls U-18 shot put crown in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2023, has surpassed the Carifta Girls U-20 shot put mark of 11.74 on four occasions. The Burnley Club athlete first went over the barrier when she threw 13.05 metres in winning at the Golden League Grass, Eddie Hart Ground, Tacarigua on December 12. Second-placed Adrianna Quamina (D’Abadie Progressive), with her 11.75 effort, also threw beyond the standard.
Winter, the 2023/2024 Carifta Girls U-17 shot put silver medallist repeated her win at the Golden League Grass, Point Fortin-leg on January 11 at the Mahaica Sporting Complex with 12.84m. Quamina again was second with 11.82 as both got the iron ball over the mark once again.
The San Juan South Secondary Fourth Former continued her winning form at the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Development Meet No 2 at Shaw Park on February 9 with a season-best of 13.29m. Quamina did not participate but won with the Golden League Grass, Diego Martin stop on February 22 with a mark of 12.27m and followed up with 11.74m to win at Masters NAAA Meet No 2, a day later at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella. She beat out Winter (11.46m) for the top spot. Quamina, the 2022 Carifta Girls U-17 discus bronze medallist has hit the 11.74m target three times.
Aaron Aparicio (Zenith) superseded the Carifta Boys U-20 javelin standard of 51.23m at three meets. He began with a 54.06m triumph at Shaw Park on January 26 and then 52.60m to take the top spot at the NAAA Development Meet No 2. The Signal Hill Secondary student improved to 57.78m on the second day of the Quow, Stewart, Baptiste, Tobago Secondary Schools Regional Championships at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet on February 26. Theo Bruce (Scarborough Sec) was runner-up to Aparicio with 53.40 to also go over the required mark.
Aparicio’s club-mate Ruth Irvine, Jaafari Shaw (Rss Phoenix) and Kai Francis (Lambeau Alliance) have gone over the standards in their events twice.
Irvine zipped beyond the 39.21m mark in the Girls U-20 discus. The 2023 NACAC Girls U-18 discus second-placed finisher landed the discus at 39.62m in winning on January 26 and followed up with 39.39 to take gold on day two of Tobago Secondary Schools Regional Championships.
Shaw was superior to the Boys U-17 shot put 13.16m asking distance with 14.98 on January 26 at Shaw Park and followed up with 13.57 on February 9.
Francis is one of four qualifers in the Boys U-17 discus getting over the 35.08m required distance with 36.15m on January 26 with second place Zenith’s Alexander Alfred (35.12m) also attaining the mark. Francis improved to 36.47m on February 9 with another Zenith competitor D’Andre Wallace (Zenith) 35.52m joining the list of those vying for selection.
Nykel Gomez (Ascend) also staked his claim for a spot on the Carifta team with 36.12m to win in Tacarigua on December 12.
Multiple Carifta and NACAC U-18 medallists Keneisha Shelbourne (Oasics), Akeya Gonzales (D’Abadie Progressive), Tannon Niemeyer (Ascend), Reyann Graham (QRC) are also Carifta qualifiers.
Shelbourne leaped over the Girls U-20 triple jump marker (11.77) with 12.37 at Shaw Park on February 9. The four-time Carifta medal winner missed the long jump standard (5.50m) with 5.43m.
Gonzales won the Girls U-17 javelin in Point Fortin on January 11 with 27.52m to pass the 25.63m standard. Niemeyer won the Boys U-17 javelin in Diego Martin on February 22 with 47.40m surpassing the 45.62m distance. Graham cleared 1.58m in the Girls U-17 high jump at the Masters NAAA Meet No 3 on February 23.
Omari Brown (Neon Wolves) heads the list of track qualifiers. Brown is a double qualifier in the Boys U-17 110m. He dipped under the 15.52-second standard with 15.00 on February 9, followed by 14.18 on the first day of the Richards, Cedenio, Borel South Central Regional Championships at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium on February 18.
The Presentation College, San Fernando student also zoomed under the 100m 10.99 running 10.64 in Diego Martin on February 22 along with second placer QRC’s Terrell Hernandez (10.94).
Noemi Theodore (Phoenix), Alex Seepersad (Phoenix), Tylon Whight (Mecury), Zacchus Charles (St Benedict’s), Jahfari Farrell (Presentation/San Fernando), Darius and Harding (CTS College) 21.49 are the other track qualifiers.
Theodore got under the 11.84 standard for the Girls U-20 100m when she clocked 11.79 in Diego Martin on February 22. Her clubmate Kioni Devenish (11.85) was a shade outside of the standard.
Seepersad, also of Phoenix, blazed under the 22.26 Boys U-17 200m barrier with 21.49 in Diego Martin. Mercury’s Whight joined Seepersad with 22.06 on February 9.
Charles was 0.05 seconds quicker than the U-20 100m (10.53) in his 10.58 victory on the first day of the South Central Secondary Schools Regional Championships.
Farrell impressed in the Boys U-20 200m (21.74) with 21.65 while Harding took care of the 16:55.49 Boys Open 5,000m time with 16:14.34.
List of local Carifta Track and Field Championships Qualifiers
Golden League Grass, Eddie Hart Ground, Tacarigua, Dec 12
U-17 Boys Discus (35.08): Nykel Gomez (Ascend) 36.12
U-20 Girls Shot put (11.74): Peyton Winter (Burnley) 13.05, Adriana Quamina (D’Abadie Prog ) 11.75 - Golden League Grass, Mahaica Sporting Complex, Point Fortin, Jan 11
U-20 Girls Shot put (11.74): 1 Peyton Winter (Burnley) 12.84, 2 Adrianna Quamina (D’Abadie) 11.82 - Golden League Athletics Grass Series, Shaw Park Ground, Shaw Park, Jan 26
U-17
Boys Shot put (13.16): 1 Jaafari Shaw (Rss Phoenix) 14.98
Boys Discus (35.08): 1 Kai Francis (Lambeau Alliance) 36.15, 2 Alexander Alfred (Zenith) 35.12
U-20
Girls Discus (39.21): 1 Ruth Irvine (Zenith) 39.62
Boys Javelin (51.23): 1 Aaron Aparico (Zenith) 54.06 - NAAA Development Meet 2, Shaw Park, Scarborough Feb 9
U-17 Boys
200m (22.26): 1 Tylon Whight (Mecury) 22.06
Shot put (13.16): 1 Jaafari Shaw (Rss Phoenix) 13.57
Discus (35.08): 1 Kai Francis (Lambeau Alliance) 36.47, 2 D’Andre Wallace (Zenith) 35.52
110m hurdles (15.52): 1 Omari Brown (Neon Wolves) 15.00
U-20
Girls Shot put (11.74): 1 Peyton Winter (Burnley) 13.29
Boys Javelin (51.23): 1 Aaron Aparcio (Zenith) 52.60
Open Women Triple jump (11.77): 1 Keneisha Shelbourne (Oasics) 12.37 - Richards, Cedenio, Borel South Central Regional Champs, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, Feb 18-19
U-17 Boys 110m hurdles (15.52): 1 Omari Brown (Presentation College/San Fernando) 14.18
U-20 Boys 100m (10.58): 1 Zacchus Charles (St. Benedicts) 10.53
200m (21.74): 1 Jahfari Farrell (Presentationa/San Fernando) 21.65
5,000m (16.55.49): 1 Darius Harding (CTS College) 16:14.34 - Golden League Athletics Grass Series, Diego Martin Sports Complex, Feb 22
U-17 Boys
100m (10.99): 1 Omari Brown (Neon Wolves)10.64, 2 Terrell Hernandez (QRC) 10.94
200m (22.26): 1 Alex Seepersad (Phoenix) 21.49
U-20
Girls 100m (11.84): 1 Noemi Theodore (Phoenix) 11.79, 2 Kioni Devenish (Phoenix) 11.85
Shot put (11.74): 1 Adrianna Quamina (D’Abadie) 12.27 - Masters/NAAA Development Meet 3, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella , Feb 23
U-17
Girls
High jump (1.55): 1 Reyann Graham (QRC) 1.58 -Quow, Stewart, Baptiste, Tobago Regional Championships, Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet
Feb 26-27
U-20 Girls Discus (39.21): 1 Ruth Irvine (Scar Sec) 39.39
Boys Javelin (51.23): 1 Aaron Aparcio (Signal Hill Sec) 57.78, 2 Theo Bruce (Scarborough Sec) 53.40
