LINDEN athletes performed creditably on home soil when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held its second CARIFTA Games trials last Saturday at the newly commissioned Bayrock National Stadium in Wismar, Linden.
In fact, from the six athletes who gained qualifying times for the upcoming CARIFTA Games at those 2nd CARIFTA Games trials, four were from the Upper Demerara Track Club and the others from the Police Progressive Youth Club and the Guyana Defence Force.
Last Saturday, Upper Demerara Track Club athletes Gordon Thompson, Deuquan Farrel, Kaidan Persaud and Kemal Guishard along with Police Progressive Youth Club’s Jarel Campbell and the Guyana Defence Force’s Ebcosie Leitch all qualified.
Gordon Thompson running as an Under-20 athlete qualified with a time of 10.38secs in the 100m, with the qualification time being 10.54secs, with Deuquan Farrell clocking 21.09secs for the 200m where the qualification time is 21.50secs.
In the 400m for Under 20 males, Kaidan Persaud stopped the clock at 47.29secs, besting the qualifying time of 48secs flat, as Kemal Guishard’s long jump effort was 13.53m as against the qualification distance of 13.50m.
The Guyana Defence Force’s Under-20 athlete Ebcosie Leitch was also impressive in the long jump with a leap of 7.35m, the qualifying mark is 6.75m, while Police Progressive Youth’s Jarel Campbell, in the Under-17 long jump, made the qualifying mark jumping 6.93m, with the qualifying mark being 6.75m
At the first CARIFTA Games trials, Christianburg Wismar Secondary Club’s Angel Jeffrey qualified for the Under-17 female 100m event, Upper Demerara Club’s Tesianna Harris also qualified for the 100m Under-17 females, Jevon Roberts for the 800m and 1,500m events, Police Progressive Youth ‘s Omari Welch for the Under-17 100m race and clubmate Tishawn Easton also for the 400m Under-20 event.
Athletes were drawn from several clubs across Guyana which included Police Progressive Youth, Running Braves, Hopetown Flames, Upper demerara, Christianburg Wismar Secondary, Guyana Defence Force, Mercury Fast Laners, Team Nice, Tytans and the Super Upcoming Runners.
AAG official Mark Scott indicated also that consideration is for overseas-based athletes be part of the Guyana contingent for this year’s CARIFTA Games. (Joe Chapman).