SEVEN AND 7TH FOR JAMAICA AT THE NACAC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP

Photo: Rushell Clayton displays here Canadian “loot” (Rushell Clayton)

Jamaica’s 15 member squad to the 8th staging of NACAC games ended the three day championships in Kamloops, Canada with a medal haul of 7, one more than the reaped at the last championship in Mexico. They finished with two silvers and five bronze medals to place 7th behind table topper United States who ended with 64 medals. The country’s athletes were unable to find the winner’s podium this time around.

Tyquendo Tracey and Sedeekie Edie got the medal hunt going on Friday’s opening day in their respective events. Tracey the former Gravey Maceo High standout athlete, now training at the MVP track club, ran a personal best 10.21secs for second in the men’s 100m final behind American Diondre Batson, who topped the field in 10.08. Bahamian Trevana Mackey 10.30 took the bronze medal.

Kwisi McFarlane, the other Jamaican in the final, was 7th in 10.49.Janelle Kelly finished at the back of the field in the women’s equivalent in 12.10. Cierra White of USA 11.32 was the winner.

In the men’s long jump, Edie secured the bronze with a leap of 7.41m. Americans Braxton Drummond 7.64m and Devin Field 7.51m finished 1st and 2nd respectively.

Megan Simmonds of Jamaica won silver in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.06 (2.2m/s wind). The winner was LeTristan Pledger of United States in 13.04. Chrisdale McCarthy, the other Jamaican, finished fourth in 13.41secs. Stefan Fennell 14.22 was a fifth place finisher in the men’s high hurdles, won by US Virgin Islands’ Eddie Lovett 13.39.

The men’s quartet 4x100m quartet of Kwisi McFarlane, Tyquendo Tracey, Everton Clarke, and Jazeel Murphy, ran 38.78 for second behind USA 38.47 in the men sprint relay. The women’s team of Rushell Clayton, Janelle Kelly, Chrisdale McCarthy and Megan Simmonds finished third in 45.90. USA 43.89 won ahead of Canada 45.19.This was Clayton’s and Clarke’s 2nd medal at the championship, who earlier both copped bronze medals in the 400H and 200 respectively. Clayton’s time was time of 1:03.68 and Clarke clocked 20.51. Jamaican Kavoy Nelson closed the game in the men’s 400m final, his time 50.38secs.

In the last edition of the championship, in Irapuato, Mexico, Jamaica ended with six medals: one gold, one silver and four bronze. The top five countries were United States, host Canada, Mexico, U.S Virgin Island and Bahamas.