Payne, Roberts shine at National Junior championships
Guyana Chronicle
March 13, 2002

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RUNNER-UP Junior Sportsman of the Year, Tai Payne, blazed the trail in the Boys Under-20 400 and 800 metre races, while Keith Roberts ruled the sprints at the National Junior Track & Field championships at the Uitvlugt Community Centre ground, Sunday.

The top Under-20 female sprinter was Michelle Vaughn, while Gevita David was tops in the middle distances.

Payne of Atoms burst the 400-metre tape in 50.2 seconds, followed by club mate Christopher Joseph (50.4), Quacey Straker of Police (55.6) and Cort Zammett of Police (55.8).

In the 800 metres, Payne clocked 2:03.3 minutes, comfortably beating Richard Staglon of Police (2:14.9), with Cortis Europe of Bedford (2:24) and Pete Younge of Red Hornets (2:37.8).

The tussle for the 100-metre finish was between Roberts of Royal Youth Movement (10.4 seconds) and Seon Forde of Linden Track Club (10.5), followed by Treton Garraway of Royal and Kareem Williams.

Roberts (22.4 seconds) beat Joseph (23.3) in the 200 metres, with Straker coming third and Germain Hazel fourth.

Cleveland Forde of Rising Stars comfortably took the 1500 and 5 000 metres. He beat Tulsirai Ramnauth of Atoms in the 1500, 4:25 minutes and 4:30 respectively, with Mark Branker of Police running in third and Shawn Sandiford in the fourth place.

Forde then beat the field by over two minutes in the 5 000 metres, finishing in 16:40.6 mintues, followed by Shawn Sandiford of Upper Demerara (18:08.6), with Ramnauth coming third and Branker fourth.

In the Girls Under-20 100 metres, Vaughn of Atoms clocked 12.2 seconds to beat La Toya Morris of Royal (12.6), Rebecca Harris of Atoms (13.2) and O’Donna Pryce of Upper Demerara.

Vaugh (26.4 seconds) then triumphed over Joann Van Sertima of Police (26.8) in the 200 metres, followed by Stacy Smith of Police in third place and Nakisha Blair of Royal fourth.

Smith (1:03.5 minutes) and Blair (1:05) advanced to the top two slots in the 400 metres, with third place going to Shondelle Johnson of Linden TC and fourth to Van Sertima.

David of Royal won the 800 metres, finishing in 2:44.2 minutes, followed by Alana De Freitas of West Demerarar (3:00.2) and Leslyn Qualis of Police (3:12.5).

In the 1500 metres, David (5:47.5 minutes) turned back club-mate Abigail De Souza (5:56.3), with De Freitas third and Qualis fourth.

The 3000 metres went to Delcie Dick of New Amsterdam Track Club (11:43.8 minutes), with Jennifer Chichester of Police running in second (12:12.3), Keneisha Lashley of President’s College third and De Souza in fourth place.

Renaldo Mc Rae of Police dominated the Boys Under-17 sprints, taking the 100 metres in 11.2 seconds, followed by team-mates Quacey Trotman (11.4) and Richard Barrington, and Dason Rameswar of Upper Demerara fourth.

In the 200 metres, Mc Rae finished in 23.8 second, Trotman 24.8, Barrington 24.9 and Colin Williams of Upper Demerara 25.

Randy Lee of Atoms was the master of the next two distances, capturing the 400 metres in 53.4 second, followed by Derwin Eastman of Police (54.5), Kelvin Chester of Police and Travis Trotz fourth.

Lee (2:13.5 minutes) again beat Eastman (2:19.5) in the 800 metres, while David Younge of President’s College came in third, followed by Chester.

The 1500 metres went to Sherwyn Johnson of Linden TC (4:44.1 minutes), second Erwin Allen of Royal (4:55.6), third Shawn Sobers of PC and fourth Mervin Calvan of Royal.

Calvan stepped up to take the 3 000 metres in 10:55.9 minutes, followed by club mate Cleveland Thomas (11:15.7), with Tito Allicock of West Demerara third and Deryck Adams of Striders Athletic Club fourth.

La Toya Barker of Bedford was the top Girls Under-17 athletes, winning the 200 and 400 metres races. She beat Cadejah St Hill in the 200 metres, 26.1 seconds to 26.8, with the third place going to Rosanna Lewis of Royal and fourth to Sabrina Walcott of Bedford.

Barker clocked 1:03.6 minutes in the 400 metres, beating Brunetta Henry of Royal (1:07.3), while running in third was Latesia Noble of Royal and fourth Cherisa Mc Lean.

Analisa Austin of Atoms won the 100 metre dash in 12.1 seconds, ahead of Dianne Munroe of Police (12.7) St Hill third and Ashanti Mickle of Royal fourth.

Victory in the 800 metres went to Kimberly Holder of PC, followed in descending order by Athia Allicock of West Demerara, Alanna James of PC and Erica Browne of YMCA.

The 1500 metres was won by Jennifer Chichester, with Delcia Dick second, both appearing and placing in the Under-20 3000 metres. Brown was third and Melissa Lowe of Police fourth.

Boys Under-20 field events were won by Royston Ross of Bygeval (shot), Cleon Washington of Upper Demerara (discus) and Andell Smith of Linden TC (javelin), while on the distaff side, the winners were Shondella Johnson (shot) Dacia Carter (discus) and Runada Floris (javelin).

Vince Reid of YMCA won both the Boys Under-17 shot and discus.