Grenada's Peters takes CARIFTA gold and record

Mickel Joseph & Anderson Peters 

by Michael Bascombe

HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 9, 2012 – Grenada grabbed two medals on the final morning of competition in the 41^st Junior CARIFTA Games here on Monday.

Anderson Peters of St David’s Catholic Secondary School (SDCSS) produced a massive throw of 60.50 metres to clinch the gold medal and established a new championship record in the Under-17 Boys Javelin event.

The 15 year-old fouled on his first attempt but gradually improved on his successive throws with 52.60, 55.22, 58.71, 57.02 and then his winning effort of 60.50m.

Grenada picked up the silver medal in the same event when Mickel Joseph of Hillsborough Secondary School (HSS) threw the javelin at 59.45m in his final and best effort.

They were the best performers of the Grenadian athletes so far from the seven-member team representing the Spice Isle.

However, Nickhelia John (25.11secs) puts herself into the final of the Under-20 Girls 200m on Monday evening when she clinched one of the two spots among the fastest losers in the semi-finals. On Saturday, John was seventh in the 400m final in 59.76secs.

Also, Linden Toussaint leads the Boys Heptathlon going into the 1,500m, the final of the seven events contested over two days. Toussaint leads with 4,111 points but strongly challenged by Klode Thompson of Barbados (3,940) and Charles Sealy of the Bahamas (3,822). Kevin Cox of Grenada is in the sixth spot with 3,669 points.

Toussaint also missed out on a medal on the opening day when he was fourth in the Under-20 Boys Discus Throw with 49.36m. Kenisha Hazzard (12.53 secs) didn’t qualify in the Under-17 Girls 100m and was fifth in Heat two of 200m in 26.25secs while Crystal Mitchell brought up the rear in the Under-17 Girls 1,500m in 5:39.68.

In the final evening of competition, Toussaint is also expected to compete in the Under-20 Javelin event while Cox, who is entered into the High Jump, may be withdrawn to concentrate on his final event (1,500m) in the Heptathlon. Mitchell is also scheduled to compete in the 3,000m.