CAC GOLD RUSH BEGINS - Jamaica rack up 14 gold on day two of competition

Jamaican athletes dominated proceedings on yesterday’s second day of competition at the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Track and Field Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico, collecting 25 medals, including 14 gold.  
Competing in the Under-18 girls’ 400m final, Shameika McLean gave Jamaica its first gold medal, having run a well-controlled race to win in 52.37 seconds. Teammate Danielle Dixon took bronze in 53.22, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Eden Chee-Wah claimed silver in 52.48s.
Jamaica’s fastest schoolboy quarter-miler this season, Jason Pitter, dominated the Boys’ Under-18 400m, winning in a championship record 45.98. Teammate Jordan Rehudel finished third for bronze in 47.12, while Barbados’ Zachary Wall took silver in 46.34.
Jasauna Dennis made it three wins from four 400m finals for Jamaica with a commanding victory in the Men’s Under-23 event, leading from start to finish to clock 45.33. Earlier, Oneika Brissett mined bronze in the Women’s Under-23 final in 52.73.
The Jamaicans also stamped their authority in the sprint hurdles and 400m hurdles, winning six of the eight titles on offer.
Fifteen-year-old Tashana Godfrey started the gold rush in the Under-18 Girls’ 100m hurdles, clocking a personal best 13.30 for victory. There was disappointment, however, as medal favourite Malayi Duncan crashed out after hitting the first hurdle.
There was another setback in the Boys’ Under-18 110m hurdles as standout Marquies Page hit the first hurdle and was unable to recover, stopping at the fifth hurdle. Teammate Brandon Bennett secured bronze in 13.96, while the Bahamas’ Jahcarrio Wilson won in a championship record 12.94.
Alexis James and Shaquane Gordon added more gold in the Under-23 women’s and men’s sprint hurdles. James, the lone Jamaican in the women’s final, won impressively in 13.08. Gordon captured the men’s title in 13.54, while countryman Andre Harris claimed silver in 13.73.
Ruheim McIntosh, Kellyann Carr, and Romario Stewart completed a Jamaican sweep of the 400m hurdles titles. McIntosh won the Boys’ Under-18 event in 51.43, Carr took the Women’s Under-23 title in 57.40, while Stewart won the Men’s Under-23 final in 50.21, with teammate Antonio Forbes earning bronze in 50.43.
Jamaica ended the day on the track with two 4x100m relay victories. The Under-18 boys won in a championship record 40.07, finishing ahead of the Bahamas (40.32), and Trinidad and Tobago (40.57).
In a close finish, the Men’s Under-23 team prevailed to take gold in 39.30, ahead of the Bahamas (39.47) and Barbados (39.59). Jamaica failed to field a team in the Women’s 4x100m Under 23 relay.
Zavien Bernard captured her second gold medal of the championships, winning the Girls’ Under-18 long jump with 6.21m after taking the triple jump title on Friday’s opening day.
Jamaica secured a quinella in the Women’s Under-23 shot put as Brittanie Johnson improved on her discus silver to win with a throw of 16.51 metres, while teammate Kimeka Smith was second with 16.27m. 
Selethel Johnson added another field gold after winning the Boys’ Under-18 high jump with a clearance of 2.05 metres, the same height cleared by teammate Nikaro Johnson, who finished second.
Jamie Lee Tulloch earned silver in the Girls’ Under-18 shot put with a best throw of 14.83m.
The Championships will come to an end today.