WORLD Youth silver medallist Daniel Williams, and South American Youth gold medallist Deshanna Skeete opened their season in fine form last Sunday at the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Development Meet at the National Track and Field Centre on the West Coast of Demerara.

Super Upcoming Runners’ Cassie Small, Kezra Murray (Police), and seniors Leslain Baird, Devaun Barrington and Winston Missigher, were also among the day’s leaders, at the age group meet, which marked the start of the AAG’s 2017 season.
Williams found little competition as he championed the Boys 17-19 300m, 150m and 80m sprints.

In the 300m he clocked 35.57s, quite a distance ahead of Hopetown Flames’ Lionel Marks, who trotted in for second with a time of 36.72s. Christianburg’s Jennis Benjamin managed to secure third with a time of 36.99s.
In the 150m, Williams had an impressive 15.35 seconds; Marks once again followed for another second-place finish, with a time of 15.73 secs.
In the 80m event Williams needed just 8.48 secs to make it to the finish line, while Benjamin was able to pick up a second place in 8.60 secs.
Skeete owned the Girls’ 14-16 300m in a blistering 41.87 secs, where Shantay George claimed second place in 42.62 secs and Keliza Smith was third with 42.86 secs.
Used to being at the top spot on the field in the jumps, Linden jumper Chantoba Bright found herself relegated on the track, when she was outclassed by Small in the Girls’ 17-19 300m. Small covered the distance in 41.71 secs, just pipping Bright, who ended he run in 41.79 secs

Tonya Rawlins took third place in a time of 44.60s.
Barrington and Missigher ruled in the middle-distance races. Missigher had an entire minute to spare ahead of longtime rival Cleveland Thomas, winning the Boys’ 1200m in 3:13.94s.

Barrington took hold of the Boys’ open 600m, and clocked 1:23.00s for the win. Also taking wins in the 600m distance was Upper Demerara’s Daniel Melville and Maria Urquhart. Melville won the Boys’ 17-19 category in 1:24.69s, while Urquhart won the Girls’ in 1:41.75s.

Police’s Kezra Murray won the Girls’ 17-19 1000m, while Shaquka claimed first place in the Girls’ 14-16 1000m.
On the distaff side Kezia Moore was consistent in her events placing in the top three on each occasion. She was first across the finish line in the Girls’ 14-16 80m finishing with 10.30s while Annalisa Barclay came in second (10.53s) and Dominique Semple third (11.60s).
In the field events, national men’s javelin record-holder Leslain Baird opened his season with a 70.74m throw.