by SHERRYLYN A. TOPPIN

WHEN FABIAN NORGROVE stormed down the straightaway to win the Men's 400 metres at the 2008 Pacers Invitational Track meet last Saturday at the National Stadium, he did so in a new personal record, just like the five others before him.

Norgrove, a bronze medallist at the CARIFTA Games last month, came home in 47.35 seconds, sustaining his pace from the backstretch through the turn, overtaking Quantum Leap's Jerry-Lee Davis (48.26) and Pacers' Debarge Carrington (48.35) who made the early running. His previous time was 47.55 seconds in St Kitts, and he also broke the 48.54 record set by Jamil Jones.

Strength and speed

In the previous race, Blitz clubmate Sadé Sealy displayed both strength and speed to win in 54.93, down from her previous best 54.99. It was a good comeback for Sealy who faded and finished fourth after leading last year's race. She defeated defending champion Mara Weekes of Quantum Leap who recorded a season's best 55.53 seconds.

Shaquille Alleyne of Track & Field Academy did his personal best 49.66 in the preliminaries, but he was not far off, winning in 49.67.

This race was close with Wendal Davis and Nicholas Deshong all leading at some stage. Alleyne made the decisive move with 150 metres to go, and if Deshong had moved with him, the result might have been different, but he waited too late and had to settle for second place.

Freedom Striders' Shavonne Husbands stepped up from the Under-15 division and was a comfortable winner of the Under-17 race, also in a personal best 58.69, down from 59.74 seconds. Shani Adams of Elite Distance (58.93) and BC Trac's Sadé-Mariah Greenidge (59.90) took the other places.

Her promotion left BC Trac's Sonia Gaskin (59.68) virtually all alone for the first 300 metres in the Under-15 race, and she was able to lower her time from 60.32. Elite Distance's Gabiel Ellis (59.89) took second place.

Keen contest

The Under-15 Boys' race was also a keen contest between Rising Stars' Jerrad Mason and Tremaine Maloney. Mason ran hard from the start and stripped a full second off his time when he crossed the line in 53.40 seconds. Maloney (53.57) made up lots of ground in the last 100, but again left himself with too much to do.

In the hurdles, Kenrisha Brathwaite of Rising Stars recorded her first sub-14 clocking in the Under-17 Girls' 100 metres hurdles. Since teammate Kierre Beckles had no one to run with in the Under-20 division, she ran out of Lane 1, and Brathwaite benefited from running next to her. Beckles was not as fast as at CARIFTA with 13.86 seconds, but Brathwaite blazed to a personal best 13.96 down from 14.04 to win her race.

Raphael Jordan also was a split second faster winning the Under-17 Boys' race in 13.83 seconds, while CARIFTA silver medallist Tyrell Forde stepped up to the 99cm height to win in 14.45, with Under-20 silver medallist Greggmar Swift second in 14.50. Ronnie Griffith won the men's event.

Elroy Agard of Rising Stars got a good start on the field and won the Men's 100 metres in 10.71 seconds, as Jamil Jones (10.85) and Jamal Simmons (10.88) fought for the other places.

Track and Field Academy's Tameka Rawlins also got a good start and won the women's race in 11.90 seconds.

Pacers Invitational results:

RESULTS OF FINALS completed on the first day of the 2008 Pacers Invitational last Saturday at the National Stadium. Abbreviations: GAR – Garrison Secondary, PTC – Pacers Track Club, TFA – Track and Field Academy, BCT BC Trac, UWICH – UWI Cave Hill, CM – Cuthbert Moore Primary, IND – Independent, ED – Elite Distance, SMS – The St Michael School, RS – Rising Stars, FS – Freedom Striders, BZ – Blitz, QL – Quantum Leap, BDFSP – Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme.

Under-17 Boys' shot put

1. John Jones (GAR) 14.61 metres, 2. Jonathan Harper (PTC) 13.4m, 3. Akeem Green (TFA) 12.12m

Under-20 Boys' shot put (Record)

1. Hosea Boyce (BCT) 13.61m, 2. Kemar Holder-Edghill (BCT) 13.17m, 3. Akeem Blenman (TFA) 12.87m

Men's Shot Put

1. Jeremy Parris (TFA) 10.55m, 2. Christopher Grant (UWICH) 7.46m

Under-9 Girls' 80 metres

1. Tashera Boyce (CM) 13.96 seconds, 2. Jaliah Denny (CM) 14.75, 3. Brianna Holder (IND) 16.28

Under-9 Boys' 80 metres

1. Jamahl Burke (WT) 11.77 seconds, 2. Hasani Lowe (BCT) 12.22, 3. Antonio Farrell (CM) 12.41

Under-11 Girls' 100 metres

1. Tristan Evelyn (RS) 14.47 seconds, 2. Cristann McConney (PTC) 14.78, 3. Sharima Best (CM) 15.03

Under-11 Boys' 100 metres

1. Ajani Alleyne (BCT) 14.58 seconds, 2. Zachary Holder (BCT) 14.64, 3. Justin Byer (PTC) 14.93

Under-13 Girls' 100 metres

1. Leah Barker (BCT) 13.84 seconds, 2. Shaquana Quintyne (FS) 14.16, 3. Leah Sealy (ED) 14.18

Under-13 Boys' 100 metres

1. Tristan Alleyne (RS) 12.74 seconds, 2. Mario Burke (BCT) 12.97, 3. Richard Lynch (BCT) 13.30

Women's High Jump

1. Jamiyla Jordan (ED) 1.65 metres, 2. Cheyenne Stewart (SMS) 1.55m, 3. Chrystal Dowridge (BCT)

Men's Long Jump

1. Ronson Small (PTC) 6.96 metres, 2. Kayode Branch (UWICH) 6.58m, 3. Daniel Burke (BCT) 6.50m

Women's 1500 metres

1. Sabrina Welch (FS) 5 minutes 11.30 seconds, 2. Amaris Chase (FS) 5:12.76, 3. Kimberlee Belle (BCT) 5:33.56

Men's 1500 metres

1. Dario Burnham (BCT) 4 minutes 14.62 seconds, 2. Matthew Agard (BZ) 4:14.66, 3. Chad Puckerin (BZ) 4:16.19

Under-17 Girls' 100m hurdles

1. Kenrisha Brathwaite (RS) 13.96 seconds, 2. Sade-Mariah Greenidge (BCT) 15.66, 3. Rickyta Whitney (SMS) 16.54

Under-17 Boys' 100m hurdles

1. Raphael Jordan (RS) 13.83 seconds, 2. Rhys Phillips (RS) 14.66

Women's 100m hurdles

1. Kierre Beckles (RS) 13.83 seconds

Under-20 Boys' 110m hurdles

1. Tyrell Forde (RS) 14.45 seconds, 2. Greggmar Swift (BCT) 14.50, 3. Shamar Greenidge (PTC) 16.86

Men's 110m hurdles

1. Ronnie Griffith (RS) 15.28 seconds

Under-15 Girls' 100 metres

1. Akela Taylor (QL) 12.88 seconds, 2. Erica Charles (FS) 13.25, 3. Samantha Williams (PTC) 13.33

Under-15 Boys' 100 metres

1. Shakir Sandiford (RS) 11.62 seconds, 2. Shaquille Hollingsworth (RS) 11.63, 3. Chad Best (PTC) 11.97

Under-17 Girls' 100 metres

1. Jaleesia Harper (RS) 12.46 seconds, 2. Shakera Connell (TFA) 12.99, 3. Elise Ginevra (QL) 13.39

Under-17 Boys' 100 metres

1. Nicholas Deshong (PTC) 11.24 seconds, 2. Tyrell Forde (RS) 11.39, 3. Raheem Durant (PTC) 11.53

Women's 100 metres

1. Tameka Rawlins (TFA) 11.90 seconds, 2. Sadé Greene (QL) 12.01, 3. Ashley Branch (QL) 12.78

Men's 100 metres

1. Elroy Agard (RS) 10.71 seconds, 2. Jamil Jones (IND) 10.85, 3. Jamal Simmons (BDFSP) 10.88

Under-15 Girls' 400 metres

1. Sonia Gaskin (BCT) 59.68 seconds, 2. Gabiel Ellis (ED) 59.89, 3. Shakera Hall (ED) 1:03.67

Under-15 Boys' 400 Metres

1. Jerrad Mason (RS) 53.40 seconds, 2. Tremaine Maloney (RS) 53.57, 3. Charles Greaves (PTC) 54.47

Under-17 Girls' 400 Metres

1. Shavonne Husbands (FS) 58.69 seconds, 2. Shani Adams (ED) 58.93, 3. Sade-Mariah Greenidge (BCT) 59.90

Under-17 Boys' 400 metres

1. Shaquille Alleyne (TFA) 49.67 seconds, 2. Nicholas Deshong (PTC) 50.26, 3. Antonio Mascoll (PTC) 51.49

Women's 400 metres

1. Sadé Sealy (BZ) 54.93 seconds, 2. Mara Weekes (QL) 55.53, 3. Latoya Griffith (QL) 58.33

Men's 400 metres

1. Fabian Norgrove (BZ) 47.35 seconds, 2. Jerry-Lee Davis (QL) 48.26, 3. Debarge Carrington (PTC) 48.35

Under-17 Girls' 4x100 metres relay

1. Rising Stars 49.93 seconds, 2. Elite Distance 51.27, 3. Track and Field Academy 52.18

Under-17 Boys' 4x100 metres relay

1. Rising Stars 45.19 seconds, 2. Pacers Track Club 45.42, 3. Elite Distance 45.55

Women's 4x100 metres relay

1. Quantum Leap 48.34 seconds

Men's 4x100 metres relay

1. Pacers Track Club "A" 43.76 seconds, 2. Rising Stars 43.89, 3. Pacers Track Club "B" 45.23.