Ace of spades
Gary Card elated with Carifta Trials win after overcoming last season’s injuries
HAVING grappled with injuries that forced him to miss most of the 2023 season, Gary Card of Wolmer’s Boys’ is now revelling in joy after delivering a personal-best performance to win the Boys’ Under-20 200m on the final day of the threeday Carifta Trials at the National Stadium on Sunday.
Card dominated the field, winning the event by over 5m with a lifetime-best of 20.79 seconds, surpassing his previous record of 20.87s. Johan-ramaldo Smythe of Muschett High School claimed second place in 21.19s, while Romario Hines of Munro secured the third spot in 21.26s.
Just 16 years old, Card expressed his happiness with the performance and eagerly anticipates representing the country at the upcoming Carifta Games in Grenada.
“I went into the race knowing that I had a good chance of winning, so it was all about execution,” he said. “I believe I ran a brilliant curve and, in the end, the result was a personal best so I am happy about that.
“Last season I was struck with injuries so this season is about getting back and running as fast as possible. Right now I am pleased with where I am.”
In the Girls’ Under-20 final, Muschett High’s Shanoya Douglas secured victory with a time of 22.85s. Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High School claimed second place with a time of 23.49s, while Joune Armstrong of Edwin Allen High School took the third spot in 23.90s. Green Island’s Oshane Jervis stunned the field with a lifetime best of 22.29s to win the Boys’ Under-17 200m. Jervis, competing in the 200m for the first time in his high school career, surpassed his previous best time of 22.60s. Calabar’s High School’s Bryon Walker secured second place in 22.41s, and Cornwall College’s Thomas Daley was third in 22.42s.
Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls’ achieved a sprinter double in the Under-17 category by winning the 200m with a respectable time of 23.86s. St Jago’s Shannia Campbell (24.27s) and Adora Campbell (24.29s) secured the second and third positions, respectively. East, 15, won the 100m event on Saturday.
In the sprint hurdles events, Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon produced a scintillating performance to win the Under-20 110m hurdles event in a personal-best effort of 13.32s. He erased his previous best time of 13.50s.
In the Girls’ Under-20 100m hurdles, St Elizabeth Technical High School’s (STETHS) Habiba Harris also produced a spectacular personal-best time of 12.95s to win the event quite easily. She eclipsed her previous best of 13.35s in the event. Briana Campbell of St Jago ended second in 13.14s while third went to Shania Myers in 13.17s.
In the 400m hurdles events, Elite Performance Track Club’s Shamar Blake triumphed in the Boys’ Under-20 400m hurdles with a time of 51.01s. Jamaica College’s (JC) Princewell Martin (51.52s) and Kingston College’s Merrick Richards (51.85s) secured the second and third positions, respectively. Edwin Allen’s Kelly-ann Carr won the girls’ equivalent with a time of 58.40s, ahead of Hydel’s Aaliyah Mullings (59.41s) and Rhianna Lewis of Rhodes Hall (1:01.09 minutes).
In the Boys’ Under-17 400m hurdles final, Calabar’s Robert Miller clocked 52.74s to claim victory, followed by Fransico Williams of St George’s College (53.64s) and Orando Pine of Edwin Allen (54.28s).
Hydel’s Nastassia Fletcher, who won the Girls’ Under-17 400m final on Saturday, returned on Sunday to secure her second event of the championships, winning the 400m hurdles final in 1:02.37 minutes. St Jago’s Alyssa Carty (1:04.49) and Taneca White (1:10.53) claimed the second and third positions, respectively.
In the long-distance event, Moses Johnson of Edwin Allen easily won the Under-17 3000m in a time of 9:54.00, ahead of STEHTS’S Delano Brown (9:59.33).