Five all comers and six meet records were broken during the second BVI Twilight Invitational on Saturday evening at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.
Jamaica’s Anastacia Leroy who was second a year ago, won the women’s 400 metres in 51.62 seconds — .03 seconds faster than her last visit. St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Kineke Alexander was second in 51.78 seconds and the Bahamas’ former World Youth and World Junior champion Shaune Miller was third in 52.60.”
The first record on the track went to Torrington Lawrence, of the USA, who won the 400-metre race in 45.45 seconds and eclipsed the Dominican Republic’s Gustavo Cuesta’s 45.87 mark established last year. The USVI’s Tabarie Henry who was coming off two years of injuries — ran a season’s best of 45.75 seconds to hold off the Bahamas’ Chris Brown, who slightly hurt his back in warm up, by .02 seconds. Mr. Cuesta was fifth in 47.18 seconds.
Tawana Medows, of the USA, demolished Puerto Rico’s Genolskia Cancel’s 100-metre meet record of 11.62 seconds and missed the all comers record by .06 seconds in winning with a time of 11.28 seconds. Jade Bailey, of Barbados, was second in 11.49 seconds followed by the VI’s Taheisa Harrigan-Scott in 11.57 seconds. St. Croix’s Laverne Jones-Ferrette was fourth in 11.61 seconds, while Karene King placed sixth in 11.75 seconds.
Guyana’s Adam Harris comfortably won the men’s 100-metre in 10.23 seconds ahead of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Brijesh “BJ” Lawrence’s 10.38, with the USA’s Ivory Williams 10.49 placing him third.
Kimmarra McDonald, of the USA, shattered Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner’s 800-metre all comers record of two minutes and 10.92 seconds from 2012 to win the event after overhauling Trinidad and Tobago’s Alena Brooks in close race, 2:06.12’ to 2:06.31.’ Sadie Sealy, Barbados, was third in 2:08.65 minutes.
Tayron Reyes of the Dominican Republic beat the USA’s Richard Jones in the last 50 metres to win the 800 metres by taking down the VI’s Greg Rymer’s 18-year-old all comers record of one minute and 50.12 seconds when he stopped the clock at 1:49.98.” Mr. Jones was second in 1:50.71,” followed by Puerto Rico’s William Gonzalez, who finished in 1:55.63.”
Jamaica’s Jermaine Brown, a member of the 4 x 200 metre World Record breaking team at the IAAF World Relays, nipped the USA’s Sean McLean at the line to win the men’s 200 metres by .03 seconds for an all comers record of 20.46 seconds, wiping out the 20.82 seconds run by Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes from last year. Mr. McLean finished in 20.49 seconds followed by Honduras’ Ronaldo Palacios, who ran 20.69 seconds, as the top five all went under the old mark.
Allison Peter, of the USVI, won the 200 metres in 23.41 seconds, ahead of Ms. Alexander’s 23.55 seconds. Ms. Bailey ran 23.62 seconds for third ahead of the VI’s Karene King’s 23.83 seconds. Ms. Harrigan-Scott edged St. Croix’s Laverne Jones-Ferrette, 23.91 and 23.93 seconds, respectively, for fifth place, while Ashely Kelly rounded out the field in 24.02 seconds.
Nelda Huggins, who has qualified for next month’s IAAF World Junior Championships in both sprints, shattered her 100-metre national youth and national junior record of 11.77 seconds she ran last year and equalled at this year’s Carifta Games, with a time of 11.59 seconds to win the under-20 girls event. The wind reading was 0.8. L’Tisha “Lea” Fahie ran a personal best of 12.01” for second place, while Taylor Hill placed third in 12.12 seconds.
Kyron McMaster, who has also qualified for World Juniors in the 400-metre hurdles, ran a season’s best of 48.45” in the 400 metres.
Beyonce DeFreitas, 13, won the under-20 girls 400 metres in 56.82 seconds, leading Judine Lacey to 57.73” and Kelsha Fortune, 58.35” — all personal bests.
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