TRINIDAD and Tobago athletes raked in four more medals at the 32nd CARIFTA Track and Field Championships at Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday.

Jamal James struck gold winning the Boys Under-17 800 metres in a time of one minute 56.15 seconds.  Jamaicans Klemar Ellis followed in second and his countryman Melvin Weller finished third. Pilar McShine gave the Trinidadians their second medal, silver, finishing runner-up to Jamaican Jodram Richards in the Girls Under-17 800 metres, clocking two minutes 15.47 seconds.  The winner’s time was two minutes 14.57 seconds. Both Donelle de Verteuil and Carlan Arthur gained bronze medals in the Under-20 800 metres. De Verteuil was third in two minutes 14.04 seconds behind Jamaican Carlene Robinson (2:7.56 seconds), while Arthur trailed behind Mallard Brown (Jamaica).  He was timed in one minute 52.22 seconds.  The winner clocked one minute 50.49 seconds.

But the star of the day and Games so far is Usain “Thunder” Bolt of Jamaica who broke the CARIFTA Games 200 metres record posting a time of 20.43 seconds, erasing the previous mark set in 1997 by another Jamaican Roy Bayley whose time was 20.48 seconds. Trinidadian Wanda Hutson could only manage fourth (24.25 seconds) in the Under-20 Girls 200 metres, while national champion Kelly-Ann Baptiste trailed in fifth in 24.31 seconds.  The event was won by Piandra Pompeen of St. Kitts in 23.71 seconds.

KINGSTOWN: Trinidad and Tobago’s grip on the West Indies Under-15 Cricket Championship loosened on Sunday when they went under to Barbados at Arnos Vale. Barbados were registering their first win of the tournament by defeating defending champions TT by 94 runs.

The Barbadians batted first and scored 248 for five wickets, as “Man-of-the-Match” Carlos Brathwaite (98 no) and captain Jed Yearwood (53) posted an opening partnership of 102.
Yearwood hit seven fours, while Brathwaite played a steady reassuring knocking that only included two fours. Visham Ramroop was the most successful Trinidad and Tobago bowler taking two wickets for 40 runs. When it was their turn to bat, Trinidad and Tobago were bowled out for 154 in 43 overs and three balls, with Adrian Maynard capturing four wickets for 22 runs. Kevon Francois topscored with 27 and captain Javed Mohammed 22. Guyana however edged closer to the regional cricket title by recording their fourth straight victory, defeating the Leeward Islands by eight wickets. The only other contender for the championship, Jamaica, kept their hopes alive by crushing the Windward Islands by seven wickets in a high-scoring encounter to set up the tournament decider when they meet Guyana tomorrow.

Batting first at Sion Hill, the Leeward Islands were dismissed for 146 in 48 overs and two balls, as Clyde Andries grabbed three wickets for 24 runs while captain Krishna Deosarran, who was also the “Man-of-the-Match”, snared two for 12 from his ten overs. Jacques Taylor topscored for the Leewards with 31, with assistance coming from Karim Warner (27) and Kieran Powell (25). In reply Guyana easily reached their target, scoring 147 for the loss of two wickets in 40 overs and two balls, due to half centuries from Stephen Jacobs (50 no) and Gajanand Singh (51 no). Deosarran chipped in with 20 to ensure victory. Jamaica registered their third win at Stubbs as they easily overhauled what seemed like an insurmountable Windward Islands total. The Windwards tallied 229 for nine wickets batting first, as Stein Joseph (59) struck two sixes and four fours and Andre Fletcher (53) not to be outdone, smashed three sixes and seven fours. They were supported by Heron Campbell with 32. Jamie Merchant (2-33) and Rashid Outar (2-35) were the most successful Jamaican bowlers.

In their turn at the crease, Jamaica lashed 234 for three wickets off 45 overs and one ball, as they were led by an unbeaten 72 from “Man-of-the-Match” Ziggy Levy, who struck five sixes and three fours. Levy and Marlon Johnson (67) shared a third wicket partnership of 119, as Johnson recorded a six and ten fours. Captain Jamie Trenchfield chipped in with 37. The youngsters took a break yesterday as the tournament concludes today, with all eyes on the Guyana/Jamaica match at Sion Hill which will decide the championship. The other match-ups will be the Leeward Islands against Barbados while Trinidad and Tobago oppose the Windward Islands.

TOP Of The Class made almost all the running to take the first classic of the 2003 racing season, the Union Park Turf Club Easter Guineas, by an emphatic 12 lengths at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday.

When the boxes opened, rider Ricardo Jadoo pushed  his charge into the lead, and as the 1800 metres event worth $60,000 to the winning owner wore on, he continued a resolute gallop to run his rivals ragged. One of the pre-race favourites Royal Flush was strangely outpaced early on, but made up ground steadily to finish second in the $100,000 race, the first leg of the local triple crown. With victory in the bag, trainer Glenn Mendez could be thinking of emulating his feat of two years ago when he saddled Carnival Messiah to achieve the first triple crown since racing had been centralised at Arima.

The start of the Guineas was held up for approximately 12 minutes however, when one of the fancied runners, Cornerstone, broke away from the boxes and galloped down the course for 100 metres. He was later re-saddled and sent back to the start, but on returning to the paddock after the race, it was discovered Cornerstone suffered a slight injury, and also his rider Wilmer Galviz. Champion stayer and Horse of the Year 2002 Adawar was beaten into second place by Invincibility in the other “big race” of the day, the UPTC Champagne Stakes over 1600 metres.

Smooth Operator set the early fractions chased by My Son John and Invincibility, and with 1000 metres still to race it was anybody’s call. But with 600 metres to run, Invincibility took charge and scooted clear for a handsome victory in the $75,000 event. Always well positioned, Adawar made a forward move 400 metres out, but he was never going to catch the winner. The race was robbed of some interest with the withdrawal of both Phantom Bidder and Sugar Mike. Jockey Nobel Abrego ran afoul of the stewards in the seventh race yesterday, and was fined $300 and grounded for one day for allegedly failing to ride out his mount Finest Gem.

Jockeys Brian Harding, Fazal Razack, Raymond Ganpath and Jadoo landed two winners each on the day’s 11-race programme, while Douglas Bennett, Raffique Khan and Grant Lourenco were the leading trainers saddling two winners each. Tote, exacta, trifecta and superfecta dividends were moderate except for the final race when rank outsider Golden Boy won by a head to reward backers with $31.10 and $8.10 on the tote. Together with Indian Rhapsody and Touchwood, the trifecta payout was $3,618, while the superfecta with fourth placed Ula paid $2,050.50.

TOP Trinidad and Tobago junior Jonathan Drew led a local quartet  including Simeon Sealy, Sean de la Bastide and Kyle Hannays to first round  victories as action in the IBM/ITF Junior Circuit Tennis Tournament opened at the Jean Pierre Sports Complex yesterday.

Drew defeated countryman Marc Balgobin 6-1, 6-0, Sealy also deposed another local player Kris Gray 6-0, 6-0, Hannays beat Barbadian Roman Marshall and de la Bastide put out Kirk Hamilton of Jamaica 1-6, 7-5, 7-5. But in the second round Hannays, de la Bastide, Drew and Sealy were all bundled out. Drew was beaten by Aruba’s Vincent Moreta 6-2, 6-0, Nathaniel Gorham (USA) beat Sealy 6-1, 6-0, Alex Chang (USA) beat Hannays 6-1, 6-0, and Andrew Thornton (USA) defeated de la Bastide 6-2, 6-2.

First round results: Micheal Bobitski (USA) bt Rajive Doon Pundit (TT) 6-0, 6-0; Darren Jack (St Vincent) bt Sean Woodham (TT) 6-2, 6-1; Jose Perdomo (Puerto Rico) bt R Hutchinson (Barbados) 6-1, 6-2; Charles Sator (USA) bt Matthew de Gannes (TT) 6-0, 6-1, Alex Chang (USA) bt Louis Villarroel (TT) 6-1, 6-0; Andrew Thornton (Bar) bt Brad Wallace (TT) 6-0, 6-0; Colin Bishop (Grenada) bt Marc Hemlee (TT) 6-1, 6-0; Blendel Toussaint (Grenada) bt Ravi Ramsingh (TT) 6-3, 6-2.
Second round results: Johnathan Trangandh (USA) bt Micheal Babitski (USA) 6-2, 6-3; Saul Bernos (Puerto Rico) bt  Darren Jack (Barbados) 6-2, 7-5; Charles Sator (USA) bt Jose Perdomo (Puerto Rico) 6-2, 6-4; Blendel Toussaint (Grenada) bt Colin Bishop (Grenada) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.
The tournament continues Saturday at the same venue.

TRINIDAD AND Tobago athletes captured 11 additional medals on Sunday evening to push their tally to 21, but Jamaica continued their dominance as the 32nd annual CARIFTA Track and Field Championships continued at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

Striking gold for TT were Rhonda Watkins in the Girls Under-17 high jump, and Sheron Mark in the Girls U-20 triple jump, while the silver medals were presented to Sandino Nero in the Boys U-17 3,000 m, Shawn Thomas in the Boys U-20 long jump, Charisse Bacchus in the Girls pentathlon, as well as the Boys and Girls U-20 4×100 m relay squads; and the bronze medals were awarded to Josanne Lucas in the Girls U-20 400 m hurdles, the Boys U-17 4×100 m relay team, Mikel Courtney in the Boys heptathlon and Cuquie Melville in the Girls pentathlon. Watkins, who won the Girls U-17 long jump on Saturday morning, claimed her second gold in the three-day meet when she cleared the bar at a personal best attempt of 1.73 metres. Silver went to Latroya Darrell of Bermuda in 1.68 m while Andrea Moss of Bahamas took bronze in 1.65 m. And Sheron Mark made her mark at the triple jump – literally and figuratively – when she won in 12.82 m, also a personal best, with the Guadeloupe pair of Zelica Montout 12.74 m and Prescillia Corneille 12.63 m among the medals.

Spurred on by a vocal Grenada contingent, Neilon Joseph held off a late burst from TT’s Nero to win the Boys U-17 3,000 m in nine minutes 20.50 seconds, with Nero following in 9:22.75 and Martinique’s Lorry Lucea third in 9:29.60; while Thomas’ best attempt in the long jump was 7.27 m, the same as Martinique’s Cedric Bergoz with Jamaica’s Damion Young well ahead in 7.40 m. Personal records were set by Bacchus and Melville in the Girls pentathlon, with Bacchus bettering her previous standard of 3,455 points when she amassed 3,548 while Melville’s 3,401 was 270 more than her old mark. But Jamaican Nadina Marsh was an easy winner with 3,868 points.

Jamaica set new CARIFTA best times in the Boys and Girls U-20 400 m relays, with the boys, inspired by Usain “Thunderbolt” Bolt on the final leg and 100 m bronze medallist Tesfa Latty on the third, sped past the finishing line in 39.43 seconds, well inside the 40.19 time set by Trinidad and Tobago in 2001. The injured Darrel Brown and Dion Rodriguez earned TT a silver in 40.64, with Bahamas trailing in 40.80. And the Jamaican girls, led by 100 m gold and silver medallists Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, lowered their 2000 mark of 44.63 seconds with a time of 44.42 seconds, with the TT quartet of Diana Cooke, Wanda Hutson, Monique Cabral and Kelly-Ann Baptiste following in 45.09 and Bahamas third in 46.47. And the night’s third new championship record was set, by Jamaica, in the Girls U-20 400 m hurdles, when Camille Robinson crossed the finishing line in 56.61 seconds, lowering Tonya Jarrett’s 1995 time of 58.14, with another Jamaican, Carlene Robinson, the runner-up in 58.47 and Lucas third in a personal record of 58.55.

The national Boys U-17 4×100 m relay squad took bronze in 42.19 seconds, with Jamaica cruising to victory in 41.77 and Barbados silver in 42.13; while Courtney had a combined score of 4,523 points in the Boys heptathlon, behind Jamaica’s Wilber Walker’s 4,837 and Grenada’s Akido Noel’s 4,613. And Antiguan Janil Williams rebounded from her runner-up position in the Girls U-20 1,500 m to gain a convincing win in the open 3,000 m in 10:12.32, with Jennifer Chichester of Guyana behind in 10:14.08. Jamaican Lorain McKenzie 10:15.47 and dreadlocked national Pilar McShine 10:29.87.

Other Results:
Girls U-17 300m hurdles – 1.Sherene Pinnock (Jamaica) 42.24 sec; 2.Melony McKay (Jamaica) 42.61; 3.Nerissa Phillip (Grenada) 43.08.
Girls U-17 4x100m relay – 1.Jamaica 46.07 sec; 2.Bahamas 46.75; 3.Guadeloupe 47.20.
Girls U-17 discus – 1.Sasha Ferguson (Bahamas) 36.23m; 2.Marie Vulcain (Martinique) 36.02m; 3.Brittany Marshall (Bermuda) 35.66m.
Boys U-17 400m hurdles – 1.Joseph Robertson (Jamaica) 53.69 sec; 2.Terry Marshall (Barbados) 54.81; 3.Andre Pratt (Jamaica) 56.44.
Boys U-17 triple jump – 1.Brandon Joseph (Antigua/Barbuda) 14.21m; 2.Barry Batson (Barbados) 14.14m; 3.Joel Phillip (Grenada) 14.06m.
Boys U-20 400m hurdles – 1.Kimani Williams (Jamaica) 51.22 sec; 2.Isa Phillips (Jamaica) 51.29; 3.Andretti Bain (Bahamas) 53.68.
Boys U-20 pole vault – 1.Wasim Walker (Jamaica) 4.01m.
Boys U-20 javelin – 1.Jamal Forde (Barbados) 65.46m; 2.Nely Marie (Martinique) 60.83m; 3.Densley Joseph (Grenada) 59.05m.

TRINIDAD and Tobago snatched the gold medal in the boys category of the inaugural CARIFTA Games waterpolo series in Kingston, Jamaica.

Led again by Matthew George who scored another hat-trick in Sunday night’s game, the Trinidadians swept to the title with an emphatic 11-1 victory over Jamaica for their third consecutive triumph in the two-round three-team tournament. Stuart Gillette also scored a hat-trick, skipper John Littlepage two, while Troy Gordon, Christian Flook and Eoghan Muiller had one each to complete the scoring.  Phillip Anderson got Jamaica’s consolation goal. Earlier on Sunday, Netherland Antilles and Jamaica ended their game in a tie. The Trinidad and Tobago girls will atttempt to emulate their male counterparts when they take on Jamaica needing only a draw to take the gold medal.

In the swimming pool, Ayeisha Collymore splashed to golds in the Girls 15-17 age group 100 metres backstroke to lead Trinidad and Tobago to five gold medals on Sunday. Brittany Stewart had the golden touch in the 11-12 age group 100 metres backstroke and Janine Thronhill took the 11-12 girls 100 metres freestyle gold. Joel Sankar touched first in the Boys 11-12 age group 200 metres butterfly to get the gold, while the 13-14 boys relay team of Andre Schamber, John-Ross Andrews, Jules Graham and Abeeku Forde-Phillip snatched the gold in the 4 x 100 metres medley.

Star swimmer Nicholas Bovell had to settle for silver in both the 100 metres backstroke and individual medley and the 100 metres freestyle for Boys 15-17, while Schamber got bronze in the 100 metres backstroke for 13-14 Boys and Shannon Duval got the bronze in the 13-14 Girls 200 metres individual medley.  The Trinidadians also got silver medals in the 11-12 and 13-14 Girls and 11-12 Boys 4 x 100 metres relay events. But Jamaica with 520.5 points lead the standings followed by Trinidad and Tobago on 434, Cayman Islands are next on 379; Bahamas 362; French Guiana 240; Netherland Antilles 232.5; Barbados 164; Suriname 112; Virgin Islands 101; St Lucia 36; Grenada 26; Aruba 21.

GRENADA won the bid this past weekend to stage the 34th CARIFTA Games in 2005.

The country’s bid was unanimously approved at the 32nd CARIFTA Games Congress on Sunday and the event will return to the Spice Isle for the second time in five years. They hosted the 2000 Games and remain the only country from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) ever to stage the premier regional track and field event for juniors. “We feel very honoured to be awarded the Games in 2005, and I can assure you, it will be a big success,” Grenada Athletics Association (GAA) Secretary Conrad Francis told CMC Sport yesterday morning.

The Grenada 2005 bid was fully endorsed by the Government of Grenada, and Francis added that the GAA is ready and capable of staging another successful meet. “Grenada is a country with a history of hosting big games. People may not know of that but we’ve been hosting the Whitsuntide Games, a regional meet, since the 1950s. “We have a number of resources that we can call upon to assist us and we are just elated that the Games have been awarded to us,” Francis said. Bermuda will stage the 2004 Games.

The Grenadians are a rising force in regional track and field with top-four medal-table finishes for the past three years. They finished fourth in 2000 with 18 medals, second in 2001 with 17 medals, and copped an all-time best 22 medals to place third in the Bahamas last year. The current track and field thrust is being facilitated by Government’s support and complemented, Francis said, by the country being awarded international meets. “That’s why they (Government) built a stadium, and they have mandated our federation to seek, go out to international bodies and try to win bids to host games,” Francis said. The GAA is also preparing to host the 2003 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Track & Field Championship, with over 300 competitors entered for the July 4-6 meet.

BOSTON: Robert Cheruiyot won the Boston Marathon yesterday to give  Kenya their 12th victory in 13 years.

Russia’s Svetlana Zakharova won the women’s race to prevent a second consecutive Kenyan sweep. Cheruiyot is the eighth Kenyan to win the race since his country began their domination in 1991. It was just his second career marathon; he won his debut in Milan in December. Cheruiyot (pronounced Cheh-REE’-yot) finished in two hours, 10 minutes, 11 seconds, to win by 23 seconds and earn US$80,000, an olive wreath and a bowl of beef stew. Kenyans swept the first five spots in the race, with Benjamin Kimutai second and Martin Lel third. Zakharova finished in 2:25:20. Her biggest challenge was staying on the course when the television truck turned away before the Back Bay finish line. She is the first Russian to win since 1993.

American Marla Runyan was fifth — the best finish for a US runner since 1993. Runyan, who is legally blind, trailed a bicyclist who provided her with her times at the checkpoints and guided her to her water bottles. She traded positions with defending champion Margaret Okayo of Kenya and the two Russians until Zakharova pulled ahead to pass the 13.1-mile mark with a time of 1 hour, 12 minutes and 39 seconds. South African Ernst Van Dyk earned his third consecutive victory in the men’s wheelchair race, finishing in 1:28:32 without a competitor in sight. Christina Ripp of Savoy, Illinois., who finished second last year, won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:54:57.