Phillips latest to qualify for CARIFTA Games

Mar 03, 2020 Sports

U.S. based Guyanese student-athlete, Kenisha ‘Flash’ Phillips is the latest to make the qualifying mark for the 49th Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) games that will run off in Bermuda this Easter weekend (April 10th-13th).

Kenisha Phillips.

Phillips, who is a freshman at the Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, ran a time of 23.92seconds in the women’s 200m final last Saturday at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship.
Phillips’ time was her personal best in the half lap and it ensured that she qualified to represent team Guyana at both the CARIFTA Games and the 2020 World Junior Championships, which returns to Nairobi, Kenya from July 7th – 12th.
During the Ohio Valley Conference Championships, Phillips finished second in the 60m dash with a time of 7.54 seconds while she helped her team to victory in the women’s 4x400m dash.
Austin Peay State women’s team came out number one at the meet out of the 10 teams that competed, amassing a total of 101.5 points, edging Murray State by just a point to the top rank.
Phillips has been in exceptional form in the 200m pet event and has won the race in her last three meets with the Samford Bulldog Open 2020 (Feb 14-15) and the Thundering Herd Invitational 2020 (Jan 24-25) being the other triumphs.

Kenisha Phillips (left) in action for Austin Peay State University Governors.

The other Guyanese who have qualified for CARIFTA 2020 are Anisha Gibbons, Attoya Harvey, Seon Booker, Okenoko Pascal,Wesley Tyndall, Randy Hamilton, Adriel Austin, Keliza Smith, Annalisa Barclay, Princess Browne and Trevon Hamer.
Loneil Marks, who was reported to have made the cut, will have to try again at the final trial at the National Track & Field Center (NTFC) on the 14th and 15th of this month after his time was deemed void due to a faulty start.
Last year, in the Bahamas, a total of 17 athletes took part in the 48th edition of the competition, copping three gold medals. Currently 12 athletes have qualified so far and the head of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson, believes that a few more will make qualifying marks at this meet since the junior athletes will be pushed harder because they will be going head to head with seniors.
The CARIFTA Games are an annual Junior Track & Field competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association. The Games started in 1972 serving as the premier junior regional championship for the Caribbean/Caricom region. (Calvin Chapman)

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