SPEED, style and skill usually stimulate spectators in sports.
United States-based Jaquone Hoyte showcased such assets as he sped to 10.35 seconds in a scintillating sprinting spectacle to win Saturday’s marquee men’s 100 metres of the Barbados Olympians Classic at the National Stadium.
Showing his superiority from the heats, the muscular 20-year-old freshman at Western Texas College set the stage when he left the fans in frenzy by stylishly shutting down in the last ten metres.
Hoyte, a 2017 CARIFTA Games silver medallist, returned to slam his fellow finalists while dipping under the qualifying standards of 10.40 and 10.38 seconds for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) respectively.
Southeastern Louisiana’s student Jebarri Cumberbatch was second in 10.66 seconds with Joshua Walcott (10.69) third. Both Matthew Clarke and last year’s CARIFTA octathlon gold medallist Aaron Worrell were clocked at 10.71 seconds for fourth and fifth postions.
Such was the quality in the four heats which attracted a whopping 26 athletes that CARIFTA representative, Kuron Griffith (11.12) failed to make the final.
The ever-improving Shemia Odaine gave another dominant display to win the women’s 100 in 12.05 seconds from Ashlee Lowe (12.25).
The run of the race came from Under-15 athlete Aaliyah Agard, who finished third in 12.39 seconds, ahead of the returning Akayla Morris (12.59). Khristel Martindale (12.95) and Sean Raphael (11.74) clinched the Under-15 Girls’ and Boys’ 100 races while Thierry Jordan (11.44) took the Under-18 Boys’ 100.
Jonathan Jones also stamped his authority in the men’s 400 metres with a flat 47-second clocking. An impressive Rasheeme Griffith clocked a personal best 47.98 seconds for second with Kyle Gale (48.28) third ahead of the experienced Anthonio Mascoll (48.35). Tafari Bishop (49.35) triumphed among the Under-18s.
Sadly, an over-anxious Antoni Hoyte-Small false-started in the heats, after the field was shown a green card.
Jaria Hoyte comfortably captured the women’s 400 in 57.19 seconds
from Rhea Hoyte (57.98). In the Under-15 race, Tiara Stewart (62.16) staved off the younger Zahzara Holford (62.42) while Josiah Parris (53.67) demolished the Under-15 boys.
Sarah Belle (13.82) conquered her CARIFTA teammate Anika Blackman (14.97) in the Under-18 Girls’ 100-metre hurdles while Haile Emmanuel-Turney (15.26) topped the Under-18 Boys over 110 metres.
In the women’s race Ayanna Morgan (13.70) outclassed her Indiana State University colleague Alana Ince (14.47) while Rhys Phillips (14.22) pipped Kion Joseph (14.25) in an exciting Men’s 110-metre hurdles.
The seasoned Sade Sealy (4:50.22 minutes) easily took the women’s Open 1500, opening up a 40-metre lead on second place Layla Haynes (5:06.62) and Charissa Moore (5:13.38) after US-based Akeila Knight dropped out.
Joshua Hunte (4:09.83) shook off Dario Grandison (4:14.55) over the last 250 metres to win the men’s 1500. St Kitts/Nevis’ competitor Drusan Henry (4:38.77) was fourth.
On the field, Tristan Whitehall (53.07 metres) won the men’s discus while Triston Gibbons (53.87) and Alex Duguid-Green (44.90) overpowered the Under-20 and Under-18 boys respectively.
In the women’s javelin, Jenila Atherley (39.98) upstaged Rowland Kirton-Browne (35.29), who was also second to Shanice Hutson (12.94) in the Under-18 shot put with 11.85 metres.
Anderson Greaves (7.18) and Nathan Crawford-Wallis (6.69) were the men’s Open and Under-18 Boys’ long jump winners while US-based Jelicia Neil (1.60) won the women’s high jump. (EZS)
