HYDE, GATLIN LEADS NACAC TRACK AND FEILD 2014 AWARDEES

Photo: Jaheel Hyde (Getty Images)

Jamaica junior track and field sensation Jaheel Hyde was named 2014 top male junior track and field athlete for the North America and Central America (NACAC) region. Hyde won the 400 hurdles at the World Junior Championships in 49.30 seconds, before conquering the field in the 100m hurdles in a world best (12.96s) at the second staging of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing China

The top male senior award went to America’s top sprinter 2014, Justin Gatlin. He finished the season with the top times in 100 (9.77s) and 200m (19.68s). He also picked up the Diamond trophy in the 100m, and is one of the leading nominees for the IAAF Top Male Athlete of the Year.

The women award went to America’s 400M specialist and world leader in the event ( 49.48), Francena McCorory, who got the edge over Jamaica’s 2014 Commonwealth, IAAF Continental Cup, and Diamond League 400m hurdles winner, Kaliese Spencer. McCorory won the IAAF Continental Cup 2014, the World Indoor Championship in Poland before closing out the year with the IAAF Diamond race top prize in the 400m. McCororoy is also listed, along with Spencer in the race for the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year.

A second Jamaican, in the form of Commonwealth Shot put champion Odane Richards, was named Emerging Male Athlete of the Year, while top American sprinter 2014, Torrie Bowie with a personal best of 10.80s picked up the female award.

The junior female award went to America’s 200m world junior champion,16 year old Kaylin Whitney, who won the title on home soil, back in June in 22.82s