Barbados off to a flying start at CUT Games in Bermuda

Barbados captured 13 Gold, six sliver and three bronze medals on the opening day of the 17th biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Games in Bermuda.

Jazara Lavine captured gold for Barbados when she leapt 3.70 metres in the girls Under-9 long jump.

Her gold medal distance came on her third attempt after she opened with a jump of 3.17 metres.

Second place went to Bermuda’s Natural Simmons whose first attempt produced her leading distance of 3.68 metres. Third was Taleece Morton from St. Kitts (3.29 metres).

Lavine also picked up a bronze when she finished third in the girls’ 80 metres Under-9 with a time of 12.62 seconds. The winner was Kilan Gibbons-Thomas from Bermuda in 11.82 seconds, while Taleece Morton from St. Kitts was second in 12.54 seconds.

The gold medal performances for Barbados continued as Tania Applewhaite (13.77 seconds) narrowly edged out St. Kitts’ Dhezeeka McSheene (13.78 seconds) at the line in the 100 metres Girls’ Under-11. With these two fighting at the front, third place went to Arima Turner from Bermuda (14.49 seconds).

The Gold rush was matched by her sister Tia Applewhaite who powered her way to a convincing victory in the 300 metres Girls’ Under-11.

Tia stopped the clocked at 44.57 secondss while second place Elise Dickerson from Bermuda was a distant second in 48.57 seconds.

The outstanding showing on Day One continued when Skye Spencer-Layne flashed across the line in the 100 metres Girls Under-13 with a time of 12.97 seconds to be the clear winner.

Second place went to Geolyna Dowdye from Antigua (13.39 seconds) and third was Cayman Islands Aliyanna Anderson (13.52 seconds).

The distant runners for Barbados left their competitors in their wake as it was the turn of Kelescia Downes who won the 400 metres Girls’ Under-13 in 61.47 seconds – well ahead of second place Bermuda’s Mitayah Richardson in 70.39 seconds.

Also winning gold was Smiya Dell in the Under-13 Girls’ high jump. Dell entered at 1.32 metres after passing at the five previous heights. She then passed after her opening jump to enter once again at 1.44 metres after one of the competitors had already bowed out.

She missed her opening attempt but cleared on the second attempt and then battled with Mikayla Gumbs from St. Kitts for the victory.

Gumbs failed at 1.50m while Dell cleared it on her second attempt to be assured the gold before failing at 1.53 metres.

In the Under-15 Girls, Barbados’ Nya Browne (12.78 seconds) was edged out at the line of the 100 metres by St. Kitts Tijuanique Morton (12.76 seconds), while Browne narrowly missed out on a medal in the shot put and had to settle for fourth with a throw of 6.41 metres.

Layla Haynes (Barbados) had to settle for third place in a tight battle in the girls 400 metres which was won by St. Kitts Trishanie Warner (59.02 seconds), while Sanaa Re Morris from Bermuda was second (59.82 seconds). Haynes was clocked at 60.75 seconds.

Haynes bounced back in the 1 000 metres Under-15 Girls to win ahead of Jezhari Talbot from Bermuda.

In the boys Micaiah Brathwaite won the Under-9 80 metres in 11.69 secondss, while Rokeem King (Under-9) was second in the long jump and Isaiah Marshall second in the 100 metres Under-11.

Also winning on the day were Javier Norville in the Under-11 400 metres, Amari Forde (12.95 seconds) in the under-13 100 metres, Jacobe Griffith won the Under-13 boys shot put with 8.86 metres, Imani Austin in the Under-15 shot put (14.44 metres) and Kobe Hutson in the
1 200 metres open.

Placing second were Ramero Pinder in the Boys under-13 high jump, Jamarco Gill in the Under-15 100 metres in 11.74 secondss and Caleb Massiah in the Under-15 long jump.

Third were Kobe Hutson in the Under-15 400 metres in 53.81 seconds. (CG)