By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

WHILE collegiate athletes made their season debuts with their respective universities abroad, local track and field athletes made their mark at the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic hosted at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium over the weekend.

The two-day meet saw numerous athletes attain the CARIFTA qualifying standards for the 2025 CARIFTA Games, to be hosted in Trinidad & Tobago, and set new meet records at the first club meet of the new year.

Annae Mackey, of the Blue Chip Athletics Club, qualified for her second field event on Saturday. 

After qualifying in the under-20 girls’ discus event at the BAAA Odd Distance meet last year, she hit the CARIFTA standard in the under-20 girls’ shot put event to get the ball rolling in 2025.

The 2024 CARIFTA silver medallist won the under-20 girls’ shot put event with a season’s best  throwing distance of 12.79m. Her heave was well over the CARIFTA standard of 12.49m and the meet record of 12.20m, set by Carnitra Mackey in 2021.

Dahija Mesidor, representing the 3PA Stallions, notched the second spot in the event at 8.05m. 

Farrah Saunders, of Blue Chip Athletics, rounded out the top three with a toss of 7.64m. Mackey was pleased to be able to qualify for the under-20 girls’ shot put event early in the season. .

“I am blessed to be able to represent in shot put once again. I am grateful and humble in all forms,” she said.

The 18-year-old thrower spoke about how it felt to get over the hump after coming so close to hitting the qualification mark at the first meet of the season.

“Like I said previously, I knew I would have had to go back to the lab and fix any errors and that is what I did. Now I will be going back to the drawing board once again because there is still more that can be improved,” she said.

Mackey also requalified in the under-20 girls’ discus throw event, posting a winning mark of 43.61m to eclipse the CARIFTA qualification mark of 40.36m.

Long jump standout performer Jazae Johnson surpassed the CARIFTA qualification of 5.45m in the under-15 girls’ long jump event for the second consecutive track and field meet.

She emerged victorious in the event with a new personal best jump of 5.65m, which was well over the under-17 girls’ qualification mark of 5.45m and on target for the under-20 girls’ qualifying standard of 5.58m.

In addition to qualifying for the CARIFTA Games, she broke her previous meet record of 4.49m which was set last year.

The 14-year-old said it felt awesome to be able to qualify again.

“It feels awesome. I just want to thank God for carrying me out on this journey. I want to thank my mom, my coaches and my teammates for supporting me. I am very excited,” she said.

She talked about what led to her pulling off the new personal best and her expectations for the rest of the season.

“I just put my faith in God and trusted my coach. I definitely want to PB in every meet but going towards the CARIFTA Trials I want to be around 5.80m,” she said.

CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs picked up the win in the under-20 girls’ javelin throw event, while also requalifying for the CARIFTA Games and setting a new meet record.

Shs posted a winning throw of 41.10m in the event for first place. Her toss surpassed the previous meet record of 37.17m, set by Carnitra Mackey in 2021.

CARIFTA record holder Dior-Rae Scott made her season debut in the under-20 girls’ division. She placed second in the event with a heave of 39.72m. 

Mesidor, representing the 3PA Stallions, came in third with her throwing distance of 21.80m.

A trio of Blue Chip throwers attained the CARIFTA qualifying standard once again in the under-17 boys’ javelin throw event.

The CARIFTA qualifying mark for the event is 44.95m.

Wyatt Cartwright turned in a winning throw of 53.06m to win the event and smashed Kaden Cartwright’s previous meet record of 52.72m which was set in 2021.

Ahkeel Williams settled for second with a toss of 47.38m. Third place went to Kendal Turner at 45.38m. 

A few meet records were set on the track as well at the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic.

Jade Knowles, representing DTSP Wolf Pack, shaved some time off her former meet record of 5:33.43 in the under-17 girls’ 1500m event.

She clocked 5:22.25 to earn first place. Ramonique McLennon, of Hurry Murray, came in second at 5:56.51 and Team Velocity’s Layla Duncombe settled for third at 5.57.61.

Jayda Rahming’s meet record of 5:57.42 is now a thing of the past in the under-15 girls’ 1500m event.

Hurry Murray’s Haleel Munnings crossed the finish line first in 5:33.04. Samara Cumberbatch, representing the T-Bird Flyers, got the second spot with a time of 5:40.73. Cierra Delancy, of Red-Line Athletics, ended the event in third.

The top three finishers in the under-17 boys’ 1500m event all shaved time off Kristopher Wong’s previous meet record of 4:54.90.

Kyden Thurston, representing the T-Bird Flyers, finished first in 4:19.53. Noble Prep’s Dario Butterfield trailed for second in 4:39.13. Devontae Crowl, of CH Reeves, dropped to third in 4:41.68.

Next up on the 2024-25 BAAA calendar will be the DTSP Wolfpack Mike Sands Track Classic set for Saturday, January 18 at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.