Over the weekend a team 7 athletes, and 3 officials, represented Anguilla at the first ever NACAC age group track and field championships in Port of Spain Trinidad. The team did remarkable well amassing 5 medals of which 4 were silver and 1 bronze.
Trinidad and Tobago emerged as the overall championship with Jamaica and Barbados receiving the runner up positions.
In the 13 to 14 girls It was Sethreanda Williams who braved a competitive field and emerged as Anguilla’s top finisher finishing in 20th out of 32 competitors .She captured a silver medal in the High jump with a height of 1.53m in the process of rewriting the record books with that new national record with the old National record being 1.52m.
Olinka Harrigan the second Anguillan in the 13 to 14 girl place 24th out of 32 competitors after facing some challenges with the long jump, recovered to capture silver in the girls 1000ms with a personal best time of 3.18.18.
Zaquarii Gumbs the male lone in the Anguillan 13 to 14 year old boy contingent was 18th out of 31. He shook of disappointment after placing 4th in the Shot Put to capture silver in the boy’s high jump with a mark of 1.73m a new personal best.
In the 11 to 12 year old girls it was Iyesha Carty who braved inclement weather to capture bronze in the high jump with a leap of 1.40m. She was also a finalist in the long jump with a distance of 4.33m to capture 6th position in that event. Iyesha placed 10th of out 28 competitors.
The Bell of the Ball was Miss Carsheda Pemberton who going in the final event was second overall with a score of 2190. She was the most outstanding female finisher of the group finishing 8th of 28th competitors having achieved a personal best in four events namely the 60ms with a time of 8.77sec , the high jump with a distance of 1.30m,the 800ms with a time of 3.07.32 and The Baseball throw with a distance of 50.05 which earn her silver medal. With a combined score 4899 the girls finished 5th overall out of 17 countries with Barbados , Jamaica and British Virgin Islands received the top 3 spots.
In the 11 to 12 boys it was Tajajani brooks who performed noteable well capturing 15th of out 29 competitors. In the long jump he moved his personal best from 4.41 to 4.79 to finish just shy of the medals in fourth he was also a finalist in the high jump placing 7th with a leap of 1.40m.
The top male performer of the Anguillan Delegation was Mr.Sanjay Harrigan who place 8th out of 29 competitors. This achievement meant he is the first Anguillan to be finalist at a pentathlon competition. This also meant that he broke the national record that was sent in 2011 by Vershawn Richardson of 2757 with his score of 2812. Sanjay placed 4th in the baseball throw with a distance of 54.26, 6th in the 1000ms with a personal best time of 3.14.50. Combine together the 11 to 12 boys finished 5th of out 18 countries with an accumulative score of 5449 with is also and Anguillan team 11 to 12 boy’s best.
The team was accompanied by Coaches Neil Gumbs and Glenda Williams, Track and field enthusiast Hulia’’ Ponto Carty’’ and Kathleen Hodge. The team was managed by Alexis S. Ryan second Vice President of the Anguilla Amateur Athletic Association.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
