Brown, Baptiste go for Carifta 100m gold today

DARREL BROWN and Kelly Ann Baptiste will each be aiming for gold for Trinidad and Tobago in the Boys and Girls Under-20 100 metres as the 23rd Carifta Track and Field Championships commences from 9 am today at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

The final eight will face the starter’s gun in the Boys’ 100m decider at 9 pm and Brown, aspiring for his fifth successive gold (Under-17 in 1999-2000; Under-20 in 2001-2002) will face a tough challenge from former El Dorado Secondary schoolmate and close friend Dion Rodriguez. Brown, the World Junior 100m prince, set a new Carifta mark of 10.22 seconds in the Bahamas in 2002 and, in his farewell junior season, is expected to lower his mark yet again in his third straight final. The Tobago-born Baptiste has been in sizzling form throughout the 2003 track and field season and, with 2002 World Junior Championships 100m finalist Wanda Hutson in the fray, TT can be virtually guaranteed another gold-silver finish.

Also on the agenda tonight are the Boys and Girls U-17 100m finals with Marlon Douglas, Kester Charles, Nichelle De Landro and Marsha Louis vying for spots in the last eight of each race. The 100m heats will be contested from 10.30 am while the “semis” will run off from 5.30 pm. Another top showdown will see Joel Pile against Jamil James in the Boys Under-20 400m final. The 19-year-old Pile caused a major upset when he defeated the 16-year-old James at the Carifta trials in March and the duo are certainties to medal in the quarter-mile final, which will take place at 7.50 pm.

The other three 400m finals will be held from 7.20 pm, after the mid-morning heats, with national hopes resting on the shoulders of Renny Quow and Shamir Reid (Boys U-17); Kyhesha Hills and Abigail David (Girls U-20); Karla Hope and Gineille Felix (Girls U-17). The dreadlocked Pilar McShine will square off against Caribbean queen Janil Williams of Antigua in the Girls U-20 1,500m at 6.35 pm while Candace Ince (girls U-17), Sandino Nero (Boys U-17), Carlan Arthur and Lyndon Bacchus (Boys U-20) will all be battling for places in their respective finals.

Starting the day’s proceedings will be the Open Girls Pentathlon, involving Charisse Bacchus and Cuquie Melville, and the Open Boys heptathlon with Mikel Courtney in the reckoning, while Peter Carter will be looking for TT’s first medal in the Boys Under-17 high jump at 9 am. Defending boys high jump champ Cory Gibbs will be going all out to retain his title in the finals at 5.30 pm, followed by Kellon Marshall in the Boys U-17 shot put and the Girls U-20 long jump featuring ex-Bishop Anstey High School all-rounder Bacchus, currently attending the University of Alabama. The games will be officially declared open during the official opening ceremony from 4 pm.