Nero shatters second CARIFTA record

Nero chopped an amazing 17 seconds off the previous Under-17 boys’ 3,000-metre record to defeat Jamaican Kemoy Campbell in eight minutes 53.42 seconds, but with one day remaining at the three-day meet, the Jamaicans stayed firmly on course to top the medals for the 22nd consecutive year.

Jamaica won 11 gold medals Sunday evening — at the Rene Serge Nabajoth Stadium — to boost their tally of championship wins at the three-day meet to 23.

After his record run (4:00.78) in the 1500 metres on Saturday, Nero displayed his stamina superiority again with another polished performance.

He was given a stern test by Campbell as he destroyed the previous mark of 9:10.97 by Antigua and Barbuda’s James Baird in 2002.

Campbell, who also got silver in the 1500 final behind Nero, was also well inside the previous mark with his time of 8:53.71, and Bermuda’s Matthew Spring (9:18.74) was a distant third.

Jamaican Stacey Bell won the Under-17 girls’ 3,000 metres in 11:39.95.

Showing their customary authority in the hurdles and sprint relays, the Jamaicans landed all the hurdles titles on offer on day two and were also 100 percent in the 4X100-metre relays. Sherine Pinnock (57.50) won her third Under-20 girls’ 400 hurdles title in a row and Josef Robertson took the boy’s equivalent in 52.47 seconds, while Sjana-Gaye Tracey (41.64) edged Barbadian Kierre Beckles (41.76) for the Under-17 girls’ 300 hurdles crown.

Jamaica logged the third fastest time in the history of the Under-20 boys’ 4X100 metres when Winston Barnes, Yohan Blake, Garfield German, and 100-metre champion Remaldo Rose took them to victory in 39.81 seconds. Only Jamaican teams in 2003 (39.43) and 2004 (39.48) have gone faster.

Barbados finished second in 40.82 and Trinidad and Tobago took third in 40.87 seconds.

The 100-metre champion Schillonie Calvert led Samantha Henry, Anastacia Leroy and anchor Naffene Briscoe across the line for the Jamaicans’ Under-20 girls’ sprint relay gold medal run in 44.91 seconds, chased by the Bahamas (45.27) and T&T (45.72).

Among the Under-17s, Jamaica’s boys won in 41.39 over The Bahamas (41.62) and the girls claimed the gold in 45.66, ahead of The Bahamas (46.17) and Trinidad and Tobago (46.21), who took bronze in all the sprint relays.

There were solid wins for Grenada’s Joel Phillips and Shannise Wright, of The Bahamas, in the combined events.

Phillips repeated as heptathlon champion when he tallied 5,074 points to defeat Trinidad and Tobago’s Kerron Brown (4,432) and his Grenadian teammate Kurt Felix (4,311) and Wright (3,326) edged her Bahamian teammate Andrea Moss (3,206) for the pentathlon crown.

Jamaica and The Bahamas shared the three jumping titles decided Sunday evening.

Kimberly Williams, of Jamaica, won the Under-20 girls’ triple jump at 12.94 metres over Bermuda’s LaTroya Darrell (12.44m), and her teammate Misha Gaye DaCosta took the Under-17 girls’ high jump crown at 1.75 metres.

Gerard Brown retained his Under-17 boys’ triple jump title at 14.71 metres over August Campbell (13.90m) in a Bahamian one-two finish.

Guadeloupe’s Jonathan Denis gave the home fans one of their few championship-winning moments so far when he took the Under-20 boys’ javelin at 56.61 metres over Barbadian Rohan Gill (55.31m) and Grenada’s Kenton Olive (54.19m).

Barbadian Akilah Martin won the Under-17 girls’ discus at 34.02 metres, topping Alexandra Terry, of the Cayman Islands, at 32.69 metres.

Jamaican Lorenzo Johnson took the pole vault open at 3.70 metres and in the two morning finals, Barbadian Ramon Burgess and Trinidad and Tobago’s Annie Alexander completed back-to-back wins in their events.

Burgess repeated as Under-17 javelin champion at 57.97 metres and Alexander took the Under-20 girls shot put gold medal for the second year in a row, at 14.88 metres. (CMC)