Four tickets punched, some close calls, and a fantastic run by a primary school distance star

The track and field action was not to be missed on Day 2 of the 2025 Joseph Payne Memorial, Saturday at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex. The 15th edition of this two-day meet produced some strong outings, including multiple qualifiers for the 2025 CARIFTA Games, to be hosted by Trinidad & Tobago in April. But the show was stolen by one of the youngest athletes present.

There were some impressive performances, but the standout moment of the meet came from nine-year-old sensation Glory Fraser, second in the women’s section of the 5000-metre run, and sixth overall with a time of 20:12.01. Overall, Joshua Hunte was the 5k champion as he strode home in a time of 17:30.27. Carlie Robinson was the first woman over the line, stopping the clock at 19:55.30.

Over in the field, Elite Distance Program’s Jayden Walcott continued his glorious start to the 2025 season with a huge throw of 18.25 metres to meet the CARIFTA standard for the third time in the under-17 boys shot put. A silver medallist last year, he has improved by nearly three metres. His weekend throw, in fact, is about half a metre shy of the CARIFTA record.

Earlier in the meet, Walcott qualified in the discus throw with a toss of 44.65 metres, more than a metre clear of the 43.60 standard. Coleridge and Parry’s Kamaal Armstong finished in second with a best effort of 29.86m.

Aaron Morris of the Elite Distance Program was the 400m king with a strong showing of 48.05 seconds in the open men’s section to reach the CARIFTA standard once again in the under-20 division.

Shania Mottley surpassed the 1.60 metres set for the under-17 girls high jump for the second time this season with a leap of 1.66 metres.

Knocking on the door for CARIFTA Games qualification was Talons’ Zakaiya Hunte in the high jump with a best effort 1.63 metres, just narrowly missing out on the 1.65 metres standard for the under-20 girls.

Extreme Velocity’s Jahkye Brewster was just a mere 0.02 seconds off the 200 metre standard for the under-17 boys with a 22.12 seconds clocking. Also coming in range of the under-20 girls standards was Talons’ Kelia Bentham with times of 55.70 seconds and 24.71 seconds in the open women’s 400 metres and 200 metres respectively.

The juniors had their time to shine at the meet as well. In the under-9 girls division, Elite Distance Program’s Diamond Kellman was dominant in the long jump and 80 metres with a leap of 3.26 metres and a 12.46 seconds clocking.

Pacers’ Davico Stevenson secured first place in the under-11 boys long  jump and the boys 80 metres with a distance of 4.02 metres and a time of 11.61 seconds in the boys 80m.

In the under-13 girls 100m, X’Cel Barbados’ Desiree Grant sped away from the field to clock 13.91 seconds.

Meanwhile the under-15 girls shot put title was taken by Zyien Greaves of Coleridge and Parry School with a throw of 9.19 metres.

Talons’ Kristal Bentham was the one to beat in the under-17 girls 100 metres and 200 metres with clockings of 12.71 seconds and  25.56 seconds.

The under-20 division saw national jumper Teon Haynes cruising to a win in the 100 metres with a 10.93 seconds clocking and soaring to a winning distance of 7.01 metres in the open men’s long jump.

In the open men’s division, Shomari Shepherd-Rollins was quite composed to run away with the 100 metres and 200 metres titles in times of 10.75 seconds and 21.88 seconds.

The masters were part of the action as well with Angela Jackson taking the win narrowly over BC Trac’s Wendy Barrow with a throw of 9.89 metres to Barrow’s 9.22 metres in the women’s shot put. In the masters men’s 100m, Dwayne Beckles of UWI Blackbirds was the lone speedster with a 11.67 seconds clocking.

Principal of the Coleridge and Parry School, Ms Sonja Greenidge officially opened the event. She was pleased that the first day of the event was being held at the school grounds, where Joseph Payne was an old scholar. She expressed happiness at the meet involving everyone from both the track and field events.

 (NGM)