Destinee Cenac achieved a remarkable victory, winning gold in the Under-17 girls’ high jump, as Team Saint Lucia concluded this year’s CARIFTA Games in 10th place with a total of four medals.
Cenac, a student at St Joseph’s Convent (SJC) who was also honored as Student of the Year at this year’s National Sports Awards, spearheaded a strong performance from the field event athletes, who all claimed four medals for the team.
A member of the Morne Stars Athletics Club, Cenac set a personal best by clearing 1.72m, a significant improvement from her bronze medal performance in 2025. The regional junior athletics festival wrapped up on Monday night, April 6, at the Kirani James Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.
This achievement marked Saint Lucia’s 16th high jump medal, the highest in any individual discipline for the island, led by Games record holders and Olympians Levern Spencer and Jeannelle Scheper.
Additionally, Saint Lucia has secured 13 pole vault medals, with Naya Jules contributing four of those, clinching silver with a height of 2.95m. This marks her second consecutive silver after winning gold in the Open girls’ event in 2023 and 2024.
Jules also recorded a personal best of 41.59m, finishing fifth in the Under-20 girls’ javelin throw.
On the opening night of the Games, Denzel Phillips secured his third all-time medal with a bronze in the Under-20 boys’ discus throw, achieving a distance of 53.24m. He finished just behind Jamaica’s Kamari Kennedy and Joseph Salmon. Although he was in contention for a medal in the shot put, he ultimately finished fifth.
The final medal was awarded on Easter Monday, the concluding day of the event. After narrowly finishing fourth in the high jump earlier in the day, Randall Monroe made his debut in the Under-17 boys’ long jump, battling a challenging headwind to record 6.60m, earning bronze. He is eligible to compete in the Under-17 division again next year.
The 12-member team featured 15-year-old thrower Eavan Edgar, who placed 11th in the shot put and fouled out in the discus throw, but is expected to return next year.
Long jumpers Barbara-Marie Maximin and Syesha Rogers also participated, finishing ninth in their respective Under-17 and Under-20 events, with Maximin set to compete in the Under-20 category in 2026.
In the Under-20 boys category, considering the age limit, the athletes competed in their final year. Evann John made it to the 800m final, finishing fifth with a time of 1:53.44, showing significant improvement from 2025. Joaqwan Alexander ran faster than last year in the 400m, though he again missed the final.
Other performances included Benique Mann placing 13th in the 1500m, Ryan Simeon finishing 24th in the 100m, and Darvin Forde, in his first and only Games appearance, taking 11th in the triple jump.
Team Saint Lucia showcased resilience and talent at the CARIFTA Games, paving the way for future successes in athletics.