Cougars won the overall title for a seventh straight year ahead of Memphis Pioneers (bottom left) and Simplex (bottom right). (Photos courtesy:CLAYTON CLARKE)

Cougars retain National Juvenile Champs title

Submitted by Clayton Clarke, athleticstnt@gmail.com; June 6, 2017

SSTF only

Secondary Schools' Track & Field 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: (Tues, June 6): The Cougars Athletic Club took the overall title at the 2017 NGC/NAAA TT National Juvenile Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4. The green and black clad youngsters emerged at the top club for the seventh consecutive year amassing 367 points to finish first on the points table. Cougars also finished at the helm of the medal tally with 27 medals (13 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze). The Kelvin-Nancoo and Abeyola Akowe coached team was the best of the close to 40 clubs which competed with a dominating performance. The winners collected ten more gold medals than the second place Memphis Pioneers 21 (3, 10, 8).  The battle for third was won by Simplex 10 (3, 4, 3) narrowly ahead of Abilene Wildcats 9 (3, 4, 2), Toco TAFAC 9 (3, 3, 3), Point Fortin New Jets 7 (3, 3, 1), Zenith 10 )3, 2, 5) and Eastonians 4 (3, 1, 0).


Leading the way for Cougars were Isaiah Germon and Janika Jordan who won the two gold medals and one bronze each. Germon claimed the boys under 14 shot put crown for the second straight year with a distance of 11.49 and then added the discus title (22.93). He missed on third gold when he had to settle for third in the javelin (27.17). ​

Jordan landed the girls under 12 60m (10.63) and 150m (19.96) honours in championship record times and took third in the 400m (1:07.71). Octavia Cambridge won the girls under 14 1000m and took silver in the 800m. Clinton Lewis retained the boys under 10 ball throw crown. Aaliyah Adams (girls under 14 shot put), Kareem Sanchez (boys under 12 long jump) and Antonia Burton (girls under 12 800m) were the other individual winners for the champions. Cougars showed their class in the relays capturing four of the five titles. They swept the mixed sprint relays winning the under 10 4x50m (28.94), under 12 4x100m (52.20) and under 14 (49.19) and the boys under 14 sprint medley (1x2x3x4) in 2:16.71. The girls under 14 sprint medley team dropped the baton at the second exchange and finished in fifth behind winners Simplex (2:31.37).

Runners-up Memphis Pioneers secured three titles courtesy Cyril Sumner (boys under 14 400m), Kayla Caesar (girls under 14 60m hurdles) and Janae Murray girls under 14 long jump. In the relays Memphis Pioneers competitors were second in the mixed under 10 4x50m, under 14 4x400m, girls under 14 sprint medley and third in the mixed under 12 4x100m and boys under 14 sprint medley. Jernisa Kadoo (girls under 14 100m), Nikita Gosine (girls under 10 ball throw) and the girls under 14 sprint medley earned gold for third placed Simplex.

Jabari Branche (boys under 12 150m), Amaya Mitchell (girls under 12 400m) and Faith Adonis (girls under 14 javelin) were winners for Abilene Wildcats. Branche led an Abilene Wildcats sweep as Enoch Joseph and Giovanni Bobb-Semple were second and third respectively. For Toco TAFAC Patrice Williams (girls under 12 ball throw), Joshua Gonzales (boys under 12 ball throw) and Tyler Shears (girls under 14 high jump) were winners. Natasha Fox won all of Pt. Fortin New Jets' titles after her wins in the girls under 14 200m, 400m and 300m hurdles. Cahsani Mark (boys under 14 javelin), Ce'Lese Adams (girls under 14 discus) and Janae De Gannes (girls under 12 long jump) copped titles for Zenith. Darius Joseph was responsible for all four of the medals won by his Eastonians club after his success in the 80m hurdles, 300m hurdles and the 100m. Joseph was also second in the shot put. Kaii Williams (boys under 10 60m) and Nathaniel Charles (boys under 10 80m) sped to gold for Tobago Jaguars.  Kyle Williams (boys under 12 60m/400m) was a double champion for Burnley while Ben Bannister (boys under 12 800m) and Teheliah Francois (girls under 10 long jump) produced gold for Mason Hall Police Youth club. Girls under 10 60m and 80m champion Jenna-Marie Thomas copped the two golds for her club IG Fastlane. Joshua Mascall (boys under 14 800m and long jump) put his Fyzabad Athletic Stars on the gold medal table.

Other gold medals at the meet were: Tyrique Vincent (ZC Athletics-boys under 10 long jump), Giana Paul (D'Abadie Progressive-girls under 12 high jump), Christiemarie Maharaj (girls under 14 800m), Aaron Antoine (Neon Wolves-boys under 14 high jump), Jaidi James (Tobago Falcons-boys under 12 high jump) and Jesaiah Greenidge (Concorde-boys under 14 200m).  Twenty clubs produced champions while 27 clubs were able to win medals.  Top eight finishers represented 36 clubs.