Cayman’s amateur track and field stars relished a return to their home turf this weekend as eight athletes hit eleven CARIFTA standards at the 2019 CUC CARIFTA Trials held 22-23 March at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
In field events, 15-year old Ashantae Graham leaped to a new personal best in the Under-17 Girls Long Jump with a distance of 5.46-metres, surpassing the CARIFTA B-Standard of 5.29. The Falcons Athletics star also clocked a personal best in the Under-17 Girls 100-metres with a time of 12.59 seconds.
“The first four jumps or so weren’t that good,” said Graham. “I improved, listened to my coach, and got two pb’s this weekend.”
In the Girls Under-17 Shot Put, 13-year old Ariyana Ebanks bettered the A-Standard of 12.00-metres with a distance of 12.26-metres.
On the track, 345 Athletics Club middle-distance specialist Levi Superville bested an early season CARIFTA qualifying time in the Boys Under-17 1500-metres with a new personal best of 4:15.10. The 15-year also hit a second CARIFTA A-Standard in the Boys Under-17 3000-metres with a time of 9:30.13. Teammate Juan Pablo Valerio hit the A-Standard in the 1500m for the second time this season clocking 4:27.00.
“My goal was to get 4:15, so I pushed through it, and got 4:15,” said Superville. “I didn’t have a set goal for the 3000-metres, I took it as a time trial and qualified.”
Also in the Under-17 3000-metres, 345 teammate James Crooks hit his first CARIFTA cut of the season, surpassing the B-Standard with a time of 10:03.65.
Joining Superville as the second athlete to qualify in two events was teammate Victor Magalhaes. After qualifying in Cuba just two weeks ago in the Boys Under-20 1500-metres, the 18-year old set a new personal best Saturday (4:08.65) while hitting a CARIFTA B-cut in the 5000-metres clocking 17:00.10.
“I felt strong in the 1500m, and happy to have gotten a new pb on my second run of the year,” said Magalhaes. “For the 5000m, I got out a bit too quick and had to make an adjustment. I’m very happy to have gotten two CARIFTA standards this weekend.”
Collegiate Indoor Track & Field hurdles champion Rasheem Brown continued to blaze a path towards CARIFTA, hitting qualifying marks in both the 110-metre hurdles (14.26s) and the 100-metre dash with a new personal best of 10.68 seconds.
“I was prepared,” said Brown. “I just went out there and executed my plan to win, and achieved a personal best for my season opener at home.”
After hitting his first qualifying mark in February, 15-year old Joshua Cox hit his second CARIFTA B-Standard winning the Boys Under-17 400-metres with a time of 51.61 seconds.
Overall, 12 athletes that have hit A or B standards in 15 events prior to the 48th CARIFTA Games 20-22 April in Grand Cayman.
*One CARIFTA B-Standard
Note: The Cayman Islands Athletics Association (CIAA) requires athletes hit one A-Standard or two B-Standard in their respective event to qualify for the 48th CARIFTA Games.
View all the results of the 2019 CUC CARIFTA Trials here.
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