JONATHAN JONES left spectators in awe with a breathtaking performance in the men’s 400 metres on the first day of the annual Louis Lynch Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday.
It was a blue riband display that was the day’s highlight. Nicholas Deshong went out hard and dictated the first 200 metres of the event. Jones was steadily making progress by then, positioning him for the final assualt. He duly took the lead by the time they hit the last 100 metres and the result was a formality.
By then Deshong faded after that punishing start but Antoni Hoyte-Small picked up pace and was pulled in by Jones’ wave for a deserved second. Anthonio Mascoll placed third.
Jones of Elite Distance broke the record he set last year, posting a CARIFTA qualifying time of 46.30 seconds and Hoyte-Small of Rising Stars also booked his passage to the Bahamas in a time of 47.19 seconds.
Sada Williams of Elite Distance was seamless and nonchalant in winning the women’s equivalent. But for a brief challenge from teammate Sade Sealy on the backstretch, Williams paced her race superbly to record a very comfortable victory in 54.48 seconds.
Sealy clocked 55.61 seconds and Jaria Hoyte of Quantum Leap ran 56.84 seconds for third place.
Deandra Foster of Springer took the girls’ Under-17 race in 59.56 seconds as the in-house announcer claimed that the Government Hill girls want to regain their schools’ title which has been held by Christ Church Foundation for the past two years.
Clevonte Lodge-Bean from the visiting Cedar Bridge Academy of Bermuda had joy in taking the Under-17 boys’ event in 49.36 seconds.
The best toe-to-toe duel came in the women’s 100 metres where Akayla Morris of High Performance and Hannah Connell of Velocity Management took no prisoners as they sprinted for the top prize.
In the end, it seemed to be Morris’ last minute dip on the line that made the crucial separation. She posted 12.20 seconds and Connell 12.22 seconds. Elite Distance’s Rickyla Fagan was third in 12.50 seconds.
Lelani Haddock, running in the colours of Quantum Leap, showcased good poise as she dismissed her challengers in the Under-17 girls’ 100 metres. She clocked 12.29 seconds, not in reach of the CARIFTA qualifying mark yet but she would be satisfied with her execution in both the preliminary and the final.
The unattached Joshua Walcott left dust in his opponents’ face as he sped to victory in the men’s 100 metres in a time of 10.49 seconds. (AT)
