AAG 2019 review (Pt. 1): Local meets

Jan 08, 2020 Sports

---

Calvin Chapman story and photos

It was business as usual for the Amateur Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) in 2019 on the local scene. And, while there is always room for improvement, the Aubrey Hutson headed sport body successfully hosted the National Youth and Junior Championships, while managing to run off a fair amount of developmental meets. In addition, the AAG sanctioned Aliann Pompey Invitational continues to grow from strength to strength.

Senior Championships (June 29-30)
The National Senior Athletics Championships was nothing short of thrilling at Leonora, as National Long Jump record holder; Emmanuel Archibald, completed the 100m-200m sprint double with a razor sharp finish in the 200m final on the last day.
Meanwhile, Kenisha Philips came out strong and gapped the field in the women’s 200m final to avenge her loss to the Barbados based Guyanese; Jovanna Gustave, who had won the 100m on day ahead of the Running Brave Athletics Club (RBAC) athlete.
Archibald, 25 years, had a great start but he was reeled in superbly by the 19-year-old Daniel Williams of Linden. Archibald, who won the 100m in a time of 10.26 seconds on day one, finished the 200m final in 20.92 for a photo-finish ahead of Daniel Williams 20.94.

Arinze Chance was third in 200m with a time of 21.53 but he wasn’t too displeased after winning his pet event; the 400m, on Saturday; day one, in 46.42 seconds.
On Saturday, Keliza Smith of RBAC won the 400m women’s final in 59.50s.
In the field events, Chantoba Bright suffered yet another defeat, this time in her favoured event, the tripled jump. She was beaten by the lanky Natrena Hooper who leaped 12.71 meters. Princess Browne was third.
And, in the middle distances, as has been the case for the past seasons, Devaun ‘Scooby’ Barrington (GDF) won the men’s 800m race in a time of 1m 51s ahead of Anfernee Headecker of Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) 1m 54s.
Joanna Archer, who is on a sport scholarship at Munroe College in the United States, won the women’s 800m in 2m10s.

Junior Championships (June 28-29)
The AAG was unmoved by the intermittent showers of the eminent May-June rainy season and all the scheduled events for the second and final day of the National Youth and Junior Championships were completed at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), Leonora.
Among the winners were 2019 Carifta games gold medalists Anisha Gibbons and Matthew Gordon, while Adriel Austin, who was also part of the AAG’s team that finished fourth overall in the Cayman Islands, also picked up a win.
Austin, who is a member of the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC), won the girls’ under-18 800m. Gordon (Hopetown Flames) won the boys’ under-18 3000m by some distance after registering a time of 9 minutes 38 seconds with Cordell Charles coming in

second almost an entire minute slower in 10 minutes 25 seconds.Gibbons threw a top distance of 37.18m to stand out in the girls’ under-18 Javelin.
The 800m event wasn’t short of entertainment; Daniel Melville (PPYC) won the boys’ under-20 division in 1minute 59 seconds ahead of Jevon Harris of RBAC.

 

Shaquka Tyrell, Princess Browne, and Keliza Smith, all of who had participated in the 48th edition of the Carifta in April 2019, also had standout performances on day one.
Also in the winners’ row on day one was Daniel Williams- U20 100m (10.68s), Daniel Melville- U-20 400m (49.81s), Kenisha Phillips- U20 100 (11.83s) and Deshanna Skeete- U-20 100m (11.84s).
AP Invitational (July 6)
The fourth Aliann Pompey Invitational Athletics meet ran off on time despite the imminent threat of rain but a GPL power outage put the brakes on the event during the men’s 1500m final that had to be completed in the dark.

Despite the hiccup, the AP maintained its high standard and fans were highly entertained with over 20 international competitors on show.In the marquee men’s 100m final, Joseph Amoah of Ghana won the event with a new meet record of 10.20s ahead of Guyana’s Emmanuel Archibald 10.33s and Winston George 10.40.
In women’s 100m final, Kamaria Durant of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) was way too quick with an impressive 11.39s.

Arinze Chance had set out to break the national 400m record last evening but rain had intervened and the overcast conditions wasn’t conducive for fast times but the US-based athlete still managed his second fastest time of the year, 46.12 seconds, to win the event.
The women’s quarter-mile sprint saw Aliyah Abrams (GUY) winning in a scorching 52.16s ahead of Candice McLeod of Jamaica (52.28s).
Jamaican Rushell Clayton got a good warm up for her Diamond League appearance the following week with a 55.25s meet record win in the women’s 400m hurdles.
The battle between local stars Devaun Barrington and Anfernee Headecker brought fans to their feat in the men’s 800m final. Headecker ran a good 750 but was beaten again on the homestretch. Barrington registered a personal best e of 1m50s, while Headecker finished in 1m 52s.
India’s national record holder, Siddhanth Thingalaya, as expected, won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.57s.
In the field, Chantoba Bright bounced back after losing to Ruth Sanmoogan in the National Athletics Championships the previous weekend, to win the long jump event with a meet record of 5.83m ahead of Sanmoogan 5.82m.
In the men’s 200m Winston George (GUY) won in 20.75s.
T&T’s Kamaria Durant completed the sprint double after winning the 200m in 23.21s.

 

---

---