Eleven girls from Edwin Allen High School, winners of the female half of Champs, have been selected for Jamaica’s 84-member squad to this year’s CARIFTA (Caribbean Free Trade Association) Games in Fort de France, Martinique, April 19-21. And on the boys side, winners Calabar High School’s Michael O’Hara and Wolmer’s Boys School’s Christoffe Bryan are two of five additions to the team. Both were omitted from the original list released last week but were added to a revised one issued Monday evening.
After failing to clear the bar at the March 8-9 CARIFTA Trials in Kingston, Bryan, the defending CARIFTA high jump champion, was awarded one of two open spots following his performance at Champs, where he jumped 2.23m to set a new Class 1 record.
O’Hara, the World Youth Championships gold medalist in the 200m, did not compete at the Trials but submitted a medical certificate regarding a toe injury he had sustained. At Champs, he was third in the Class 1 200m in 20.86secs but was disqualified for jumping the gun in the 100m after failing to make it to the final in the 110m hurdles. He also ran the second leg on Calabar’s 4x100m relay team, which won in a record-breaking 39.35secs.
In the meantime, Kingston College’s/KC Akeem Bloomfield was removed from the team after sustaining an injury at Champs during the Class 2 Boys 100m final, while Holmwood’s Shanice Bonner and Rusea’s heptathlon winner Shanice Cannigan were added to the Under-20 Girls list. Shammawi Wellington (KC) and Waseem Williams (Jamaica College/JC) were named to the Under-18 boys list as well. New decathlon record holder Maurice Harrison of Excelsior High is the other late addition.
Jamaica will be seeking its 29 hold on the Games title. In dominating the medals table and record books at CARIFTA, Jamaica has won the regional championships 28 years consecutively since it was first held in 1972.
GIRLS TEAM, Under-18: Collista Baker (Holm) , Moisha Barnes (EdA), Junelle Bromfield (STETHS), Janeek Brown (Wol), Devia Brown (Hydel), Shellece Clarke (EdA), Shenice Cohen (Holm), Lamara Destin (Rusea’s), Britnie Dixon (Vere), Taqece Duggan (Hydel), Janel Fullerton (EdA), Shania Ingram (EdA), Tiffany James (Papine), Shannin Kalawan (EdA) , Britny Kerr (Hydel), Sidney Marshall (MHS), Shanice Reid (St. Jago), Kimone Shaw (St. Jago), Natalliah Whyte (St. Jago), Shanique Wright (MHS).
Under-20: Claudette Allen (EdA), Isheka Binns (MHS), Chanice Bonner (Holm), Saqukine Cameron (EdA), Shanice Cannigan (Rusea’s), Kedisha Dallas (GCF), Rochelle Frazer (EdA), Paul Ann Gayle (EdA), Kimone Green (Mico Univ), Camira Haughton (EdA), Andrenette Knight (Vere), Olivia Leckford (EdA), Dawnalee Loney (Balaclava), Yanique McNeil (Vere), Monique McPherson (St. Jago), Tamara Moncreiffe (Holm), Safia Morgan (Immac), Joneille Smith (Wol), Yanique Thompson (Holm), Shanieke Watson (Vere), Peta Gaye Williams (St. Jago).
BOYS TEAM, Under-18: Nathaniel Bann (KC), Warren Barrett (CC), Shane Buchanan (KC), Ryan Butler (Holm), Raheem Chambers (St. Jago), Duran Crooks (Munro), Ryan Dunkley (P’field), Nigel Ellis (STETHS), Jaheel Hyde (Wol), Roje Jackson Chin (St. Jago), Jauvaney James (STETHS), Martin Manley (St. Jago), Jhevauughn Matherson (St. Jago), Vashon McCarthy (Ascot), Jordan Scott (Campion), Chad Walker (St. Jago), Obrien Wasome (JC), Shammawi Wellington (KC), Waseem Williams (JC), Lushane Wilson (St. Jago).
Under-20: Nathon Allen (St. Jago), Clayton Brown (JC), Christoffe Bryan (Wol), Jordan Chin (St. Jago), Chadoye Dawson (Spald), Marco Doodnaugh-singh (K/Hill), Romario Foote (KC), Jevaughn Fowler (CHS), Obrien Frith (Holm), Demar Gayle (EdA), Rajay Hamilton (CHS), Maurice Harrison (XLCR), Ivan Henry (St. Jago), Odaine Lewis (CC), Tyler Mason (JC), Jevaughn Minzie (B/Walk), Michael O’Hara (CHS), Raheem Robinson (Wol) Delano Rochester (KC), Marvin Williams (STETHS), Okeem Williams (STETHS).
Chef de mission for the team is Angella Chaplain, manager is Dennis May and head coach is Neil Harrison.