Accra and McKinnon dominate sprint events
… Morgan, Bentick share female spotlight
By Faizool Deo
Guyana Chronicle
March 13, 2007
GODIS Accra and Telson McKinnon proved their superiority in the 100 and 200 metres dash in the Under-20 and Under-17 age divisions respectively when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held the National Youth and Junior Track and Field Championships at the Enmore Community Development Centre ground on Sunday.
On the distaff side, runner-up junior sportswoman of 2006 Alika Morgan and Royal Youth Movement (RYM) Sheenika Bentick dominated. Morgan dominated the long distance events in the Under-20 age group while Bentick who had won the Under-20 long jump competition with a distance of 4.66m on Friday at the YMCA ground, ran away with the Under-20 sprint accolades.
The event which ran in tandem with the national senior trials also saw 14-year-old Jonathon Fagundes romp to victories in the Under-17 1500 and 3 000 metres races.
One setback which was comical but showed the level of disrespect for sports in Guyana was the cows’ 100m sprint. Somehow cows got into the compound and were idling around the periphery of the ground before making their move onto the playing area. Some people tried to chase the animals from the ground, but that caused them to run helter-skelter during the 10 000m. This created some problems for the athletes. Some of the animals also found their way close to the pitch but luckily did not trample on it.
The 18-year-old Accra, who last year at the Inter-Guiana Games trial clocked 10.5 seconds, was a little slower this time round finishing at 10.70 seconds in the 100m dash ahead of fellow Police Sports Club (PSC) runner Kevin Haynes (10.90) and Triston Joseph from RYM (11.10).
In the 200 metres race Accra dashed out of the started blocks and by the last 100m was in total control to storm to victory in 22.50 seconds. Second place again went to Haynes who clocked 22.90.
Fifteen-year-old McKinnon was slightly off Accra’s timing when he ran the Under-17 200m. The youngster clocked 22.80 seconds finishing ahead of RYM club-mate Timothy Doris (23.40). McKinnon, who represented his school, St Joseph High, the night before in the nationwide schools Futsal competition, clocked 11.20 seconds in the 100m dash, finishing ahead of Doris (11.20).
Sixteen-year-old Morgan who has stamped her name both locally and abroad as an excellent middle-distance runner won the Under-20 800m (2:34.80), the 1500m (5:22.60) and the 5 000m (20:11.50) events.
Bentick won the 100m dash with a time of 12:70, the 200m in 27.20 seconds and the Girls’ 400m in a time of 1:02.60.
The Guyana Road Runner Club’s (GRRC) Fagundes who seemed indefatigable during the races clocked 4:33.60 in the 1500m and 9:47.30 in the 3 000m.
Other winners included: U-17 Girls’ 100m dash - Manchester Secondary School’s Ladona McKenzie (12.70 secs); 200 M- Thomas Land’s Nadine Rodrigues (26.30 secs); 400m - RYM’S Letitia Myles (1:01.10); 800m - Rising Star Athletic Club’s Jonas Jenella (2:32.80); 1500m - GRRC’S Carlisa Atkinson (5:10.50); 3 000m - Atkinson (11:59.80); long jump - Manchester Secondary’s Natasha Doris (4.91m); shot put - Manchester Secondary’s Trishanie Cort (7:32m); discus - Cort (16.00m). Boys: 400m - PSC Sebastian Anton (53.80 secs); shot put - Upper Demerara Kellon Daniels (9.33m); javelin - Daniels (39.88m); discus - Silver Bullets Athletic Club’s Obie Haddaway (29.48m); long jump - RYM Doris 5:19m. Girls’ Under-20: shot put - PSC Stacy Wilson (9:14m); javelin - RYM Phillycia Burke (25.14m); discus - Burke (20.00m).
Boys’ Under-20: 400m - Upper Demerara Schools Joel Saul (52.80 secs); 800m - PSC’S Kiev Chesney (2:06.90); 1500m - PSC Dennis Horatio (4:28.80); discus - RYM Jalani Hazel (26.30m); shot put - Hazel (8.62m) and long jump - RYM’S Leon Bishop (6.26m).