St. Clair and Smith sprint to Carifta qualifiers at Fourth NAAA Meet

by Athletics T&T, athleticstnt@gmail.com​​; 26.1.17

St. Clair and Smith are among five local athletes to attain Carifta qualifying marks so far for the season. The duo join Shaquille Benjamin (Bishops High/Kaizen Panthers), Rae-Ann Serville (St. Joseph Convent-POS/Memphis Pioneers) and Asha James (Signal Hill Sec/Zenith) who have attained standards for Curacao. Benjamin was the first qualifier when he cleared 1.90m matched the Carifta boys under 18 high jump standard of 1.90m to win the event at the First NAAA Development Meet at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet on December 11. Benjamin achieved the feat once again clearing 1.90m at the Third NAAA Meet (Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet) on Sunday, January 15.

Serville surpassed the standard for the girls under 18 200m (25.15) with 24.82 in winning the girls under 16 event at the Second NAAA Meet at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port of Spain on Sunday, January 14. The 2016 Top Female Track athlete of the year won the sprint double (G U16 100/200m) at that meet. James went over the girls under 20 javelin 39.00m standard with a 41.48 to win at Third NAAA Meet.

Carifta qualifiers
Shaquille Benjamin (Bishops High/Kaizen Panthers)-B U18 high jump (1.90m)
-1.90m ( First NAAA Development Meet, Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet-Sunday December 11); 1.90m (Third NAAA Meet Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet- Sunday, January 15)

Rae-Ann Serville (St. Joseph Convent-POS/Memphis Pioneers)-G U18 200m (25.15 sec)
-24.82 (Second NAAA Development Meet,Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port of Spain-Sunday, January 14.

Asha James (Signal Hill Sec/Zenith)-G U20 javelin (39.00m)
-41.48 (Third NAAA Development Meet, Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet-Sunday, January 15)

Avindale Smitth (Q.R.C./ Abilene Wildcats)-B U18 400m  (49.35 sec)
49.06 (Fourth NAAA Development Meet - Hasely Crawford Stadium,POS-Saturday, January, 21

Jacob St. Clair (Q.R.C./ Abilene Wildcats)-B U20 400m (47.80 sec)
-47.75  (Fourth NAAA Development Meet - Hasely Crawford Stadium,POS-Saturday, January, 21

The qualifying standards for all the events are:
Girls Under 18:

• 100m (12.15);
  
• 200m (25.15);
  
• 400m (57.00);
  
• 800m (2:16.00);
  
• 1500m (4:55.00);
  
• 100m hurdles (14.70); 
  
• 400m hurdles (1:02.25);
  
• long jump (5.45);
  
• high jump (1.70);
  
• triple jump (12.15);
  
• discus (38.00);
  
• shot put (13.50);
  
• javelin (40.00)
  

Boys U18:

• 100m (10.85);
  
• 200m (22.15);
  
• 400m (49.25); 
  
• 800m (1:59.60);
  
• 1500m (4:12.00);
  
• 3000m (9:00.00);
  
• 110m hurdles (14.50);
  
• 400m hurdles (55.00);
  
• long jump (6.80);
  
• triple jump (13.90);
  
• high jump (1.90);
  
• discus (44.30);
  
• shot put (15.20);
  
• javelin (59.00)
  

G U20:

• 100m  (11.80);
  
• 200m (24.00 );
  
• 400m (55.30);
  
• 800m (2:14.50 );
  
• 1500m (4:48.00);
  
• 3000m (10:35.00);
  
• 100m hurdles (14.60); 
  
• 400m hurdles (1:00.50);
  
• long jump (5.80);
  
• triple jump (12.50);
  
• high jump (1.75);
  
• discus (40.00);
  
• shot put (13.50);
  
• javelin (39.00)
  

B U20:

• 100m (10.60);
  
• 200m (21.40);
  
• 400m (47.80);
  
• 800m (1:54.00);
  
• 1500m (4:05.00);
  
• 5000m (16:20.00);
  
• 110m hurdles (14.70); 
  
• 400m hurdles (54.00);
  
• long jump (7.20);
  
• triple jump (14.90);
  
• high jump ( 2.00); 
  
• discus (47.00);
  
• shot put (15.90);
  
• javelin (15.90)
  

Girls Open

• Heptathlon (3900)

Boys Open

• Pole Vault (3.80);
  
• Octathlon 5050

The Queen's Royal College/Abilene Wildcats duo of Jacob St. Clair and Avindale Smith sped to Carifta Games qualifying standards at the Fourth NAAA Development Meet at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port of Spain on Saturday, January, 21. St. Clair raced past the boys under under 20 400m standard (47.80) in winning the men's one lap race in 47.75. The 2015 Carifta boys under 18 400m/4x400m silver medallist made his bid for a spot on the T&T team for this year's Carifta Games in Williamsted, Curacao from April 14-17. The 19 year old finished ahead of older rivals Daniel Gibbs (Mustangs) 49.39 and Khaliya Abdullah (Simplex) 50.00.  Smith was quicker than the boys under 18 400m mark of 49.25 with 49.06 seconds. The 2015 Secondary Schools Championships Top Male Athlete won the event for the second straight meet at the Hasely Crawford Stadium after his victory at the Second NAAA Development at the same venue on January 14. Clarence Hannibal (Signal Hill Sec/T'go Falcons) missed out on qualifying mark (47.00m) for the boys under 20 discus by 5cm when he won with a distance of 46.95.

Secondary Schools' Track & Field