Hampton International Games

–Guyana’s Powell stuns 200m field

By Edison Jefford (5/25/08)

Saturday night he was complaining about a heel–spur but said he wanted to run Sunday to prove a point after a miserable 10.42 seconds third place finish in the Men’s 100m on the opening day of the Hampton International Games in Trinidad.

United States of America–based Guyanese sprinter Lee Powell was the lone hope for his country under in the Men’s 200m on Sunday after compatriot Rawle Greene was led into falsely believing that he did not qualify for the half lap event.

Powell seemed to have taken offence to the fact that his long time friend was falsely omitted from the race when he turned in a blistering 20.98 seconds in a legal -0.4 miles per second wind that stunned those gathered at the Haseley Crawford Stadium.

The Beijing Olympic Games hopeful fulfilled his intention to win in excruciating heel pain. He proved his point while Trinidad’s Rondell Sorillo (21.05s) and Suriname’s Jurgen Theman (21.42s) had to settle for second and third places respectively.

Guyana’s Derwin Eastman was awarded a place in the race owed to the absence of Greene. Eastman, however, chased the flock throughout the race for a disappointing eight place in 22.82s.

Greene was summoned late to compete in the event, which forced him to inform officials that he was not prepared to run. He had qualified for the race in 21.42s Friday night but when the list of finalists was released Sunday, Greene’s name was omitted.

Alika Morgan added another silver to her cache (she had placed second in the 1500m on day one) in a valiant effort for the women’s 3000m race; it came down to the wire with Antigua’s Kenryca Francis giving chase down the backstretch and Morgan trying to contain her with the little energy she had left.

Both athletes dipped at the finish line then briefly recovered to gaze intently at the electronic clock that bordered the end mark on the track. When the results flashed on the screen it was Francis that came out on top with 10:36.64s while Morgan was given 10.36.66s.

Janella Jonas was in the lead pack of four with 300m to go in the race but could not keep the pace that ensued thereafter. She was dropped but tried to run back in the race with 150m left–a tactic that cost her more than she bargained for.

In the end, Trinidad’s Shermin LA Salda in 10:37.82s came home third while Jonas (10:40.00s) obviously put out all that she had left. The top athlete, whom Haseley Crawford gave running shoes to in 2006, collapsed at the finish line; hours after she recovered.

Jonas had earlier won the under–17 girls’ 800m with a time of 2:18.27s. Trinidad’s Marissa Gale and Dawnel Collymore finished second and third in that order in times of 2:18.33s and 2:25.54s.

Following his bronze medal in the under–17 boys 1500m on day one, Jonathan Fagundes continued to exhibit excellent progress in the 800m race; the diminutive middle distance athlete ran a personal best time of 1:59.53s to place second.

Trinidad’s Anthony Mascall won the race in a torching 1:56.64s while Guyana’s Ricardo Martin finished third in 2:01.02s. Martin, a national schools’ record holder, told Kaieteur Sport later in the afternoon that he experienced pains in his feet throughout the tour.

Royal Youth Movement’s Jarvina Straker struck gold for Guyana in the 800m girls under –15 race with a winning time of 2:25.18s, which knocked Trinidad’s Dominique Williams (2:25.21s) and Antigua’s Jewel Lewis (2:27.89s) into second and third respectively.

Jermaine Pilgrim picked up his first individual medal, a bronze, from the men’s one mile race. Pilgrim ran 4:24.59s that put Lionel D’Andrade, fourth in 4:26.76s, out of contention. Jules LA Rode won the race in 4:22.47 while Cliffton Sylvestor (4:24.54) was third.

In total, from a fleet of about 45 athletes, Guyana won 11 individual medals while the count from the relays is yet to be tallied. Some athletes were expected in Guyana yesterday.

A Coach’s dream
Middle distance star in the making

Kaieteur News (05/24/08)

Sometimes you wonder where it will all lead to and this depressing thought arises because of past examples where an abundance of junior talent is spotted, but suddenly disappears due to the negative treatment sports receive throughout this country.
Despite that fact, whenever individual talent is identified it is only fair to the athlete that his or her performances be highlighted if only for the sacrifices that they and those who help develop that talent make.
One athlete who deserves to be recognised for the strides she has made in a short time is 14 year old Tutorial High School student Jevina Straker.
This Third Form student, who also balances her academic work with the same sharpness as her achievements on the track has been a tremendous find for Guyana since entering the sport just over seven months during which time she has attended the Inter-Guianas and Hampton Games with much success and seems destined for an impressive athletic career, providing that she gets the opportunities to be exposed to a high level of training.
The slimly built middle distance star, since her arrival in the sport has built up quite a reputation as an excellent athlete with a bright future ahead.
Jevina recently struck gold in the Under-15 800 metres event at the Hampton Games and this was after winning two gold medals at the Inter-Guianas Games where she literally destroyed the opposition in the 800 metres and ran a terrific second leg which gave her team a commanding advantage en route to copping the 4x400 metres relay.
The Royal Youth Movement athlete who is coached by Anson Anderson at the National Park has the full support of her family, especially her mother Patricia who has so far been present on all her overseas sojourns and who has been a pillar of strength in her daughter’s career, offering her the guidance she needs at this age.
“I try my best to motivate her in both her academic and athletic careers since I think that they are equally important to her,” Patricia pointed out.
Seemingly quiet in appearance, Jevina told Kaieteur Sport that she also likes art and dancing and revealed that even though she would like to make athletics a career, she also would like to become an architect one day.
“Drawing is one of my pet subjects and I would like to pursue architecture and give myself more options in life,” she said.
A student of the National School of Dance as well, this well-rounded teenager appears to be very receptive to the astute leadership qualities of her mom and reacts positively to her advice.
The last of six children, Jevina disclosed that she is now setting her sights on competing against the country’s best female distance runner Alika Morgan, who also attends the same school and her stable-mate Janella Jonas.
Asked if she feels confident enough to challenge them, Jevina responded in the affirmative, while telling that very soon she will be adding the 1500 metres to her list of events.
Commenting on the track in Trinidad and Tobago, she said that the first sight of the track at the Hasley Crawford Stadium which has Astro-Turf really surprised her because it is completely different to the grass she is accustomed to running at home, but added that she was determined not to let that hinder her chances of doing well.
Describing the race, Jevina recalled that her initial strategy was to keep close to the front runners and as they approached the bell lap she went to the front and never looked back.
She extended thanks to the following individuals George Humphrey of Humphrey Bakery and Farm Products, her uncle Claude and aunt Myrtle for their unwavering support.

More fortune for Alisha in T&T 08 track season

Hampton International Games
Guyanese secure five medals on day one
Bolt runs year’s second fastest time

By Edison Jefford
A pin’s drop would have thundered at the Hasley Crawford Stadium Saturday night at the start of the International Men’s 100m final, which was the premier and concluding race on the first day of the 2008 Hampton Games.

Patrons somehow knew that they were in for a treat after the announcer introduced the world’s second fastest man, Jamaican Usain Bolt, who broke both the Games Record and fastest time recorded in Trinidad with a 9.92 seconds win.
Bolt comfortably took top honours, shutting down about 10 metres before the finish line with United States of America’s Mike Rogers and John Capel in second and third respectively in times of 10.07 and 10.12 seconds.
The wind for the race was 0.6m/sec, which was well below the 2.0m/sec legal limit. Bolt told reporters after that he had to overcome a slow start. “I was slow out of the blocks but I was ok overall,” Bolt said.
Answering questions about his plans to compete in the 100m and 200m at the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer, Bolt said that he has one more 100m in New York planned then he will be concentrating on his speciality, the 200m.
“I have one more 100m in New York and then I am going to the 200m. I am not sure about that (running the 100m at the Olympics). It depends on my coach,” the 2007 World Athletics Championships’ silver medallist informed.
Bolt’s 9.92 seconds is the second fastest time this year behind his 9.76 seconds on May 3 at the Jamaica International Invitational. The 9.76 time was the second fastest official time ever recorded in the history of track and field.
The 9.92 mark also broke Ato Boldon’s Hampton Games record of 10.00 set in 1998 at the same venue. In another landmark, the time erased Marc Burns’ 9.96 seconds, which was the previous fastest time ever recorded in Trinidad.
Despite winning their heats Friday night, Guyanese sprinters Rawle Greene and Lee Powell did not make the cut for the ‘Super 100m’. Apparently, a time of 10.20 seconds was the minimum requirement for the star–studded race.
Capel, a world athletics 200m gold medallist in 2003; Jacey Harper, a part of Trinidad’s 4x100m world silver medal team in 2005 were among the competitors in the ‘Super’ or international 100m that Bolt easily won.
Instead, Greene and US–based Powell were placed in the second tier race for qualifying times between 10.20 and 10.40 seconds. Both athletes ran 10.40 in their heats Friday night but failed to reproduce dominant performances in the final.
Their race was the penultimate of the night; Greene had a mid–race crisis after disposing of his nearest rival in a blistering start that was almost perfect while Powell salvaged some amount of respect after recovering from a poor start.

Powell ran back to complete the race in third with a time of 10.42 seconds while Greene finished fifth in a below par 10.60 time. Trinidad’s Niconnor Alexander won the race in 10.30 seconds with compatriot Rondell Sorillo second in 10.40s.
Greene told Kaieteur Sport after the race that he had a poor transition phase (the period between the drive phase at the start and acceleration in the middle) in the race. “I just went flat for about 20m in the middle,” Greene said.
Apart from Powell’s, Guyana’s other four medals on the opening day came from Alika Morgan in the 1500m, Jonathan Fagundes in the 1500m, Alicia Fortune in the 100m and senior distance campaigner, Lionel D’Andrade in the 5000m.
Morgan won silver in the women’s 1500m in a time of 4:49.97s behind Jamaica’s Janice Barnet (4:35.22s); Trinidad’s Dawnel Colleymore was third in 4:50.24.
Fortune clocked 11.76s for a personal best time and finished third behind Trinidad’s Ayanna Hutchinson (11.42s) and Wanda Hutson (11.68s).
D’Andrade finished third in a time of 16:01.63s in the 5000m; St Vincent’s Pamenos Ballentyne won the race in 15:24.25s with Jamaica’s Rupert Green second in 15:42.89s.
Guyana’s Cleveland Thomas (16:20.72) and Dennis Horatio (16:24.18) finished the race fourth and fifth respectively.
Fagundes outclassed countryman and rival Ricardo Martin in a thrilling finish among Trinidadians for third place in the race. Fagundes got a time of 4:12.66 seconds to snatch the bronze from Christian Benn (4:12.75) with a sprint down the homestretch.
Trinidad’s Sherwin Stapleton and Dillon Thomas took first and second with times of 4:11.66 and 4:12.15 in that order. Martin, who hails from the Rupununi, was sixth in the race with 4:23.65.
The men’s 200m featuring Greene and Powell were scheduled for the final day of competition yesterday.

Gold for Jonas, silver for Morgan

By Donald Duff (Stabroek News - May 20th, 2008)
Rising star Jenella Jonas justified the faith of her sponsors TCL Cement Limited by snatching a gold medal in the 800m U-17 girls’ division at the just concluded Hampton Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
Jonas, representing Rising Stars, ran a personal best of 2:18:27s to win the event from a strong field.
Speaking of the event the 15-year-old Jonas told Stabroek Sport:”It was a little bit tough.”

Jonas said this was the second year she had participated at the Hampton Games.

Jasper Track and Field Assistant Coach Ryan Named Nation of Guyana’s Olympic Track and Field Coach

Riverdale, N.Y. (April 24, 2008) Joe Ryan, the assistant coach of Manhattan College's track and field team, has been selected to be the nation of Guyana's track and field coach for the Olympic Games to be held this summer in Beijing.

Ryan will be situated in Beijing for the month of August and will be staying in the Olympic Village.  Among the athletes he may coach for Guyana will be Manhattan alum, sprinter Aliann Pompey.  Pompey is still looking to post an Olympic qualifying time, but is likely to post that mark and represent Guyana this summer.