Reid, Reynolds cop gold at NACAC as Jamaica top medal standings

National champion Alana Reid and Alikay Reynolds won individual gold medals on Sunday’s final day of the NACAC Under 18/23 Championships in Apizaco, Mexico as Jamaica topped the medal standings after three days of competition.

Jamaica added 13 more medals on Sunday, four gold, five silver and four bronze to finish with 53, including 26 gold, 17 silver and 10 bronze, ahead of hosts Mexico who had 67 medals, but 22 goals, 18 silver and 27 bronze.

Bahamas was third with 19 medals- eight gold, nine silver and two bronze; Puerto Rico had 23- seven gold, seven silver and nine bronze while Trinidad and Tobago completed the top five with 16 medals- four gold, six silver and six bronze.

Reid, who won her first national senior title in June, won the women’s under-23 200m in a wind aided 22.29 seconds (3.0m/s), avenging her defeat in the 100m to Lavanya Williams who took the silver in 22.44 seconds, with Kelia Banthem of Barbados third in 23.00 seconds.

Reynolds set a new personal best 2:09.67 to win the under-18 women’s 800m, under the 2:10.35 she ran at the JAAA national championships just under a month ago for second place. Trinidad and Tobago’s Nyla Kerr took the silver with 2:10.68 and Mexico’s Cintia Nayeli Gomez took the bronze with 2:11.45.

Jamaica’s Alikay Reynolds after taking silver in the U-17 Girls’ 800m final at the Carifta Games in St George’s, Grenada, on Monday.Sanzy Lifestyle Media

Jamaican relay teams also landed two gold medals, both under-18 4x400m relays, and was second in the mixed 4x100m behind the Bahamas with Guatemala third.

Talshawn Edwards, who was third in the boys under-18 triple jump on Friday, took the silver medal in the long jump with 7.03m (0.0m/s), beaten by Terrin Beckles of the Bahamas who jumped 7.05m (-0.3m/s) while Jazzair Best of Barbados was third with 6.96m (-2.3m/s).

Despiro Wray was second in the men’s under-23 shot put with 17.33m, as Mexico’s Jesus David Guzman won with 18.02m and Puerto Rico’s Alan Cabanellas finished third with 16.93m.

Leanna Lewis won a silver medal in the women’s under-23 800m after running 2:08.86, to finish behind Barbados’ Layla Haynes who won with 2:07.86 while Mexico’s Georgina Caridad Sosa was third in 2:09.38.

Tray Watson was third in the men’s under-18 200m in a wind-aided 20.96 seconds as Eagan Neely of the Bahamas won with 20.84 seconds and Jahkye Brewster of Barbados was third in 20.91 seconds. A second Jamaican, Tiene Barrett was fourth with 21.02 seconds.

Jade-Ann Dawkins placed third in the women’s under-23 triple jump with 13.04m (0.0m/s) behind gold medalist Paola Josselyn Real of Mexico who jumped 13.29m (0.0m/s) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keneisha Shelbourne who took the silver medal with 13.18m (0.0m/s).

Stefvanco Henry took the bronze medal in the women’s under-18 high jump after clearing 1.60m. T’Keiya Smith of the BVI took the gold medal with 1.64m while Lucia Isabella Valezquez of Mexico placed second with 1.62m.

Odane Crooks was fourth in the men’s under-23 200m with a wind-aided 20.45 seconds (3.5m/s) and Damor Miller was sixth with 20.78 seconds; Rawaina Marston was sixth in the women’s under-18 200m in a wind-aided 24.57 seconds (6.0m/s) and Britannia Johnson was sixth in the women’s under-23 hammer throw with 52.28m.
-Paul A Reid