Antiguan Williams whips McShine in 3,000m

ANTIGUAN middle-distance queen Janil Williams sounded a warning to her fellow competitors as she whipped the field in the Girls Open 3,000 metres as the trials to select the Trinidad and Tobago team for the CARIFTA Track and Field Championships ended at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday.

Williams, the reigning CARIFTA champ, led throughout yesterday’s final to clock an impressive 10 minutes 29.05 seconds, with the dreadlocked Pilar McShine of Success/Laventille following in 10:29.69, under the CARIFTA qualifying time of 10:40.00. McShine booked a spot on the team on Saturday after she won the girls Under-17 1,500m in 4:45.71 (qualification time 4:58.00) while Eagles’ Desiree John, who will compete in the Girls U-17 100m hurdles after clocking 15.15 seconds on the opening day (qualification time 15.25), won the girls U-17 300m hurdles in 44.74 seconds, under the CARIFTA time of 45 seconds flat. Lok Toya McShine of Success will participate in the Girls Under-20 discus after a best throw of 36.79 metres (qualification standard 36m) while Athletic Central’s Sandino Nero will compete in the boys U-20 3,000m after he ran 9:17.81 yesterday (qualification time 9:30.00.

On Saturday, Kyhesha Hills of Quantum cruised to victory in the Girls U-20 400m in 54.53, while Memphis’ Abigail David squeezed under the standard time of 56 seconds when she clocked 55.99 for second place. Zenith’s Renny Quow will compete in the Boys U-17 400m during the Easter weekend with a entry time of 49.39 seconds (qualification time 50.20) while Carlon Arthur of Morvant Jets won the Boys U-17 version in 4:05.64 (qualification time 4:06.00). And Rhonda Watkins of Bishop Anstey will participate in both the Girls’ Under-17 long and high jumps. Watkins took the long jump in 5.88 m (qualification standard 5.20m) and the high jump in 1.71m, ahead of schoolmate Carleigh Bacchus 1.60 (qualification standard 1.60m). Also booking places on the CARIFTA team were Burnley’s Annie Alexander in the girls U-17 javelin with a throw of 34.61m (qualification standard 33m); Peter Carter of QRC in the Boys U-17 high jump with a leap of 1.85m (qualification standard 1.85m); and schoolmate Cory Gibbs in the boys U-20 version in two metres (qualification standard 2m).