Exciting showing by promising young athletes at Barbados National Championship

They did not disappoint on day two of the competition held at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex, as these talented athletes somewhat filled the void of not having the likes of champion hurdler Shane Brathwaite, sprinters Mario Burke and Tristian Evelyn along with quality quarter-milers Sada Williams and Jonathan Jones not being present at nationals.

The aforementioned athletes are currently in Trinidad and Tobago competing at the National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago to boost their chances of qualifying for major world championships this year.

However, the likes of Mascoll- Beckles and Niles, who are both part of Extreme Velocity Management Club, and a few other gifted Barbadian athletes, took the opportunity to perform well on the Ryan Brathwaite track.

The 18-year-old Mascoll- Beckles clocked 10.71 seconds with a +0.2m/s (meters per second) wind reading for victory. He was 10 split seconds faster than Quantum Leap star performer Brendon Hoyte in 10.81 seconds and his Velocity Management teammate Amari Knight in 10.88 seconds.

In the women’s final, which went before the men’s, Niles, who is just 17 years old, had a good season on track and last night she delivered once more in 11.82 seconds to take the crown. She stamped her authority against a competitive field that included Rickyla Fagan with a second-best time of 11.82 and Zariah Greaves with 12.04 was third overall.

As the 100m took centre stage – the closing event of the night – 17-year-old Aragorn Straker of Talons Club continuously showed that he is one for the future, destroying the Under-20 Boys field in 10.69 seconds as his teammate Seth Deane was the next best finisher in 10.82 seconds.

Khristel Martindale also of Talons won the Under-20 Girls 100m in 11.97 seconds, and Jaquan Pilgrim of Quantum Leap ran a personal best in 10.85 seconds, which was way ahead of the field in the Under-18 Boys showdown.

Meanwhile, Aniya Nurse, running unattached, made a statement when she equalled the 12.17 seconds meet record set in 2021 by Kishawna Niles and closed out the Under-18 Girls 100m in style after that particular race was made to run over.

Under the commands of starter Basil Cox, the girls took off but did not recognise that a second shot went off and ended up running the entire race.

Jahleel Armstrong of Elite Distance Programme Club pulled out all the stops to claim victory in the men’s 400m in 47.38 seconds ahead of Raheem Taitt- Best of Talons in 47.99 seconds as they were the only two competitors to go under 48 seconds.

Representatives for Dominica as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines are in Barbados competing this weekend at nationals. The women’s 400m Gold medal went to Odeshia Nanton in 56.66 seconds followed home by Barbadian Tionce Walrond in 57.93 seconds.

The Under-20 Boys 400m brought the crowd to their feet as Amir Gustave of Blaze Track Club produced a sensational run in 48.48 seconds to upset a strong field. Gustave took the top podium finish against Aquon Waithe of the University of the West Indies Blackbirds (48.71 seconds) and Josiah Parris (49.12 seconds) of Quantum Leap.

Elite Distance captured first and second in the Under-18 Boys 400m with Aaron Morris in 50.39 seconds edging Yazid Daniel who ran 50.60 seconds.

It was a record-breaking run from Brieanna Boyce of Quantum Leap in 57.86 seconds in the Under-18 Girls 400m as she raced away from the field. Clubmate Jahzara Holford in 58.22 for third place as they were split by Ariel Archer of Rising Stars in 58.02 seconds. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb