Close to 110 athletes representing five track and field clubs on the island made a bold statement when they competed in friendly rivalry held at the Mindoo Phillip Park on Friday 31st July 2020. Host club Survivors swept a number of first place finishes at their inaugural track meet dubbed “Emancipation Day Mini Time Trials”.
The participating clubs were – Morne Stars; Elite; Mercury; Road Busters and Survivors. The aim/ objective of the event was to give the athletes a sense of purpose and to see where they are in terms of their level of fitness /performances after missing out on the better part of the 2020 track and field season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Competiting at the event were Commonwealth Youth Games (Bahamas 2017) 100 metres gold medal winner/ Youth Olympic Games (Argentina 2018) 100 metres silver medal winner Julien Alfred and Leyne Leonce who won gold in the long jump at the Carifta Games 2009 held in Saint Lucia.
Also in the thick of things: Michael Joseph (Gros Islet Athletic/ competed at Carifta Games/ Cayman Islands 2019); CJ Felix (Survivors/ competed at Carifta Games/ Cayman Islands 2019); Arami Modeste (Elite/ competed at Carifta Games/ Bahamas 2018) and Jean Claude Auguste (Survivors/ competed at Carifta Games/ Bahamas 2018). Three female athletes also worthy of mention are Joy Edward (Survivors), Kayla Charles (Survivors) and Aaliyah Estephor who kept their opponents on their heels.
When talking middle/ long distance running the name Lufan Fontane (representing Survivors) should be kept in mind as he is only 9 years old and nothing more than 1 metre in height. In the 1000 metres he clocked 3 minutes 56.54 seconds – he certainly is one for the future.
Following the event, the VOICE spoke to Survivors track and field head coach, Cuthbert Modeste about the two and a half hour meet who noted: “Yes I am satisfied with the way things went with the mini trial. I was surprised it went so good”.
“Because of the COVID -19 pandemic track and field training was cut short in mid-March so I thought the best thing was to put this together for the athletes,” noted Modeste.
Upon entering the Mindoo Phillip Park all the participants including the officials had to sanitize their hands and were given masks to wear. According to Modeste, “We kept the various protocols put in place by the Ministry of Health/ CMO”.
When asked what was next for Survivors, Modeste said: “We are looking to plan another meet but this time for the field athletes. Hopefully that will take place in mid-October or early November”.
Below, you’ll find a rundown of every event winner as well as a recap of notable performances from both the male and female sides of the mini trial meet.
600 metres Girls: Sierratina Hilaire 2.03.00 (Morne Stars); 2nd Naya Jules 2.04.48.
600 metres junior boys: 1st Lufan Fortune 2.00.41 (Survivors); 2nd Daniel Marquis 2.23.39 (Survivors). 600 metres senior boys: 1st Armani Modeste 1.29.77 (Elite); 2nd Rowell St Omer 1.32.83; 3rd Klent Bernard 1.48.68 (Morne Stars).
150 metres junior girls: 1st Renee Denis 23.78; 2nd Noemi Alexander 24.53 (Survivors); 3rd Chelsea St. Pierre 27.05 (Survivors). 150 metres junior boys: 1st Zachary Isidore 21.05 (Survivors); 2nd Kenai Francois 23.62 (Survivors); 3rd Armani Phillip 24.50 (Survivors).
150 metres senior girls – Heat 1: 1st Shernice Kirton 20.56 (Elite); 2nd Aaliyah Estephor 20.63 (Survivors); 3rd Tamisha Lenny 20.96. Heat 2: 1st Jola Felix 20.91 (Elite); 2nd Kayla Charles 21.24 (Survivors); Joy Edward 21.74 (Survivors). 150 metres senior boys- Heat 1: 1st Jeano Henry 17.20; 2nd Zachary Edmund 18.03 (Morne Stars); 3rd Ken Smith 18.40. Heat 1: 1st Lekinare Antoine 18.07; 2nd Jean Claude Auguste 18.12 (Survivors); 3rd Ricardo Joseph 19.53.
1000 female: 1st Laura -Lynn Limery 4.08.42 (Road Busters); 1000 metres male: 1st Kamali Jean 3.32.20 (Survivors); 2nd Lufan Fortune 3.56.54 (Survivors).
300 metres Hurdles boys: 1st CJ Felix 44.95 (Survivors); 2nd Darrion Roberts 48.02 (Morne Stars); 3rd Jonel Ochilien 49.40 (Survivors).
300 metres girls: 1st Kereser Augustin 45.24 (Survivors); 2nd Shernice Kirton 47.16 (Elite); 3rd Tamika Jn Pierre 49.90 (Survivors).
300 metres boys Heat 1: 1st Craig Williams 39.78 (Road Busters); 2nd Ilan Albertiene 40.28 (Mercury); 3rd Joel Sylvester 41.87 (Survivors). Heat 2: 1st Michael Joseph 36.12 (Gros Islet Athletic); 2nd Jeano Henry 38.59 (Survivors); Lekware Antoine 40.39 (Survivors).
60 metres junior girls: 1st Godwina Richardson 8.62 (Survivors); 2nd Kendra Lawrence 9.69 (Survivors); 3rd Merlah Etienne 9.94 (Survivors).
60 metres junior boys Heat 1: 1st Zachary Isidore 8.56 (Survivors); 2nd Fufan Fortune 9.16 (Survivors); 3rd Kenaii Francois 9.20 (Survivors). Heat 2: 1st Armani Phillip 9.62 (Survivors); Daniel Marquis 9.78 (Survivors); 3rd Anoar Hylton 10.25 (Survivors).
60 metres senior girls Heat 1: 1st Karla Henry 8.59 (Survivors); 2nd Bernet Joseph 8.83 (Survivors); 3rd Tamika St. Pierre 9.04 (Survivors). Heat 2: 1st Julian Alfred 7.97 (Survivors); 2nd Aaliyah Estephor 8.24 (Survivors); Tamisha Lennie 8.28 (Survivors).
60 metres senior boys Heat 1: 1st Lenyn Leonce 7.16 (Morne Stars); 2nd Jeano Henry 7.19 (Survivors); 3rd Ken Smith 7.21 (Survivors). Heat 2: 1st Zachary Edmunds 7.17 (Morne Stars); Armani Modeste 7.37 (Elite); 3rd Rowell St.Omer 7.72 (Elite).
4×75 metres girls: 1st Survivors 39.89; 2nd Rugby Team A 42.38; 3rd Survivors Youth 42.90. 4×75 metres boys: 1st Elite 36.97; 2nd Survivors Youth 37.00; 3rd Morne Stars 40.08. 4×75 metres mixed: 1st Survivors Juvenile A 46.82 seconds; 2nd Survivors Juvenile B 47.05; 3rd Survivors 56.48.
4×150 metres female: 1st Survivors 1.24.68; 2nd Rugby Team 1.31.45; 3rd Survivors Youth 1.34.13. 4×150 metres male: 1st Survivors A 1.10.69; 2nd Mixed Team 1.11.65; 3rd Survivors 1.15.45.
4×300 metres female: 1st Morne Stars 3.16.42; 2nd Survivors 3.29.87. 4×300 metres male: 1st Survivors 2.41.50; 2nd Elite 1 2.43.67; 3rd Survivors 2.44.14.
