Mexico dominates CAC Juniors

Coatzacoalcos, MexicoThe host nation dominated the 16th Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (25-27 June), at the Rafael Hernández Ochoa stadium in this city which is in the state of Veracruz.

Mexico represented by the largest delegation of some 140 athletes, totalled 74 medals (23 gold, 24 silver and 27 bronze) in both the under 20 and under 17 categories.  Jamaica followed with 38 medals (17-11-17), ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (14-9-3), Puerto Rico (12-12-15) and Barbados (5-2-2). Cuba, one of the leading athletic nations in the area, was the most notable absentee. Fifteen of the 23 participating countries obtained at least one medal.

Approximately 450 athletes took part in this tune up event, just three weeks prior to next month's IAAF World Junior Championships in Grosseto, Italy.

Race walkers, throwers and middle and long distance runners led the Mexican performance.

Sánchez’ triumph

Eder Sánchez , runner-up in the junior race at the IAAF Race Walking Cup in Naumburg, Germany, last May, won the 10,000m walk with a 43:21.99 effort. He plans to keep his country's winning tradition in this discipline at the upcoming World Juniors.

Fast dashes

The three days of competition provided a few top class results, especially in the sprint events. In the women's 100m, Wanda Hutson and Kelly Ann Baptiste won gold and silver for Trinidad and Tobago with respectable times of 11.46 and 11.50. The latter clocked a windy 11.51 in the semifinals. Hutson was third at the Pan American Junior Champs in Bridgetown last year. Puerto Rico's Carol Rodriguez won the bronze in 11.73.

In the men's race, the gold medal went to Antigua and Barbuda's Daniel Bailey with a fast 10.33 clocking, after running 10.44 in the semifinals. Trinidad and Tobago's Marcus Duncan (10.43) and Puerto Rico's Yavid Zackey (10.45) followed home in second and third, respectively.

Duncan was more successful in the 200m when he clocked 20.67 to clinch the gold medal in one of the few championship records beaten during the meet.

Mexico's Isaías Haro, the 5000m winner two years ago in Bridgetown, was the only man to gain a second gold in Coatzacoalcos, this time in the 1500m, a distance in which he improved from his second place finish in 2002.

Antigua and Barbuda's Ayata Joseph took advantage of the Cubans’ absence and bettered his bronze medal from 2002 to take the Triple Jump in 15.80.
 
Mexico's José Montano also highlighted the event with his 5.00m win in the Pole Vault.

In the 14-16 age group, Jamaica's Kimberly Smith posted a fast 11.64 to win the 100m gold. The Trinitarian sisters Sade and Britney St. Louis exchanged the top two positions in the long sprints (200-400m).

History

The Central and Caribbean Junior Championships, held every two years since 1974, has seen the emergence of many talented athletes from the region, who have subsequently achieved World and Olympic medals as seniors. The long list includes Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Boldon and Darrel Brown, Cuba's Roberto Hernandez, Ioamnet Quintero, Osleidys Menéndez, Luis Mariano Delis, Yoelbi Quesada and Javier Sotomayor, Cayman Islands' Kareem Streete-Thompson, Mexico's Ernesto Canto and Ana Guevara, Bahamas' Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson, Jamaica's Merlene Ottey and Barbados' Andrea Blackett, among others.

Guevara, the 400m World champion in Paris 2003, won her first international medal when second in the 800m at the 1996 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in El Salvador.

Mexico had already organised this event in Xalapa (1976-78) and Mexico City (1986).

IAAF Vice-President Amadeo Francis thanked the organising commitee for their attention and hospitality. "Many of the athletes who participated in this event will represent our region three weeks later at the World Champs in Grosseto, Italy. We have witnessed the best of the talented athletes of our region", he stated.
 
Under 20

Men:
100m: Daniel Bailey ANT 10.33 (1.6)
200m: Marcos Duncan TRI 20.67 CR (1.2)
400m: Rennie Quow TRT 47.62 (47.58 s/f)
800m: Simon Bovell TRI 1:53.14
1500m: Isaias Haro MEX 3:49.04
5000m: Denides Velez MEX 15:21.39
10000m: Cesar Mendez MEX 32:41.03
110m H: Patrik Lee JAM 14.37
400m H: Manuel Garcia PUR 53.25
3.000m ST: Josafath Gonzalez MEX 9:25.02
HJ: Darvin Edwards LCA 2.09
PV: Jose Montano MEX 5.00
LJ: Lovintz Tota BER 7.23
TJ: Ayata Joseph ANT 15.80
SP: Hickel Woolery JAM 16.66
DT: Hickel Woolery JAM 47.22
HT: Santiago Loera MEX 59.03
JT: Olivas Kenley NCA 59.20
Decathlon: Marcos Sanchez PUR 6293
4x100m: Jamaica 40.63
4x400m: Trinidad & Tobago 3:10.97
10.000m W: Eder Sanchez MEX 43:21.99

Women:
100m Wanda Mutson TRT 11.46 (0.6)
200m: Kelly Ann Baptiste 23.37w (2.7)
400m: Kineke Alexander VIN 53.93
800m: Cristina Guevara MEX 2:12.92
1500m: Pilar McShine TRT 4:42.93
100m H: Keisha Brow JAM 13.76 (1.6)
400m H: Jennifer Velazquez PUR 1:02.46
HJ: Rhonda Watkins TRI 1.76
PV: Nidza Torres PUR 3.35 CR
LJ: Rhonda Watkins TRI 5.85
TJ: Seidre Forde BAR 12.23m 
SP: Annie Alexander TRT 15.74 CR
DT: Keisha Walkes BAR 41.87
HT: Monica Coronado MEX 48.01
JT: Coraly Ortiz PUR 48.45
4x100m: Jamaica 44.85
4x400m: Jamaica 3:40.40
Heptathlon: Nadina Marsh JAM 5161
5.000m W: Rosa M. Orozco MEX 25:00.74 

14-16 yrs

Men:
100m: Luis Lopez PUR 10.78 (1.4)
200m: Dario Alleyne BAR 21.53w (4.5)
400m: Christian Santiago PUR 48.32
800m: Jamaal James TRI 1:53.93
1500m: Jose Perez MEX 4:08.21 
3000m: Diego Borrego MEX 8:43.68
100m H: Ryan Barthwhaite BAR 13.20
400m H Victor G. Valentin PUR 54.35
2000m ST: Juan Flores MEX 6:04.73
HJ: Jahmal Stachan BAH 1.96
PV: Yeisel H. Cintron PUR 3.90
LJ: Nicholas Gordon JAM 6.65
TJ: Nicholas Gordon JAM 13.88
SP: Gilbert Villareal MEX 15.68
DT: Carlos de la Torre MEX 48.35
HT: Luis Torres MEX 57.57
JT: Juan Mendez MEX 60.48
5000m W: Rufino Ramirez MEX 22:37.41
Octathlon: 4832 Roman Garibay MEX
4x100m: Jamaica 42.33
4x400m: Jamaica 3:21.15

Women:
100m Kimberly Smith JAM 11.64 (0.4)
200m: Sade St. Louis TRT  23.83w (2.7)
400m: Britney St. Louis TRT 54.61
800m: Vanessa Boyd JAM 2:16.13
1.200m: Karen Arce CRC 3:41.72 
100m H: Natasha Ruddock JAM 13.83 (1.6)
300m H: Michelle Cumbertbach BAH 43.88
HJ: Latroya Darrel BER 1.76
LJ: Shara Proctor AIA 5.99
TJ: Kimona Smith JAM 11.87
SP: Rosario Sanchez MEX 12.30
DT: Paulina Flores MEX 36.78
JT: Kyann Maynard BAR 37.30
Pentathlon: Naomi Rivera PUR 3018
4x100m: Trinidad & Tobago 46.08
4x400m: Jamaica 3:49.42
4.000m W: Maria Perez MEX  21:02.84

 
CR- Championship Record