Bahamas Third In Total Medals, Fifth In Race For Gold At 09’ Carifta Track and Field

By Gerrino Saunders

Journal Sports Writer

The Bahamas 2009 Carifta Track and Field Team that competed at the St. Lucia Championships April 10-13 finished with three gold medals, 17 silver medals and eight bronze medals for a total of 28.

For The Bahamas 60 plus member team there were many proud and exciting moments. For instance, Raquell Williams was one of the athletes that got The Bahamian fans riled up early in the competition with a gold medal in the U-17 girls shot putt.

The Bahamian high jumpers were at the top of the class in most divisions led by Raymond Higgs who got The Bahamas its first gold medal with a leap of 2.21 metres to set the new Carifta record, replacing the record set by fellow Bahamian Jamal Wilson who now competes at the college level.

Hughnique Rolle set a new Bahamian National 1500 meter record and captured silver after clocking four minutes 44.16 seconds in the U-20 Girls event.

A number of the Family Island athletes like sprinters Rashad Armbrister and Gortia Ferguson who won 4x100 relay silver medals, described the championship event and the chance to represent their country as the best moment in their lives.

Jamaica successfully defended their title from 2008 with a total of 67 medals including 39 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze medals. Jamaica’s Kirani James won the Austin Sealy Award for being the ‘Most Outstanding Athlete.’ He ran 45.45 in the boys under 20 400m to beat Usain Bolt record of 46.35 seconds set in 2003 in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Results 2009 Carifta Track and Field Championships in St. Lucia

Team                                      Gold     Silver   Bronze   Total

   Jamaica                                 39          15          13        67
   Trinidad & Tobago                 9          10          10         29
   Barbados                                 4            9            8         21
   St. Lucia                                   4            2            0            6
   Bahamas                                 3          17            8         28
   Martinique                                3            1            6         10
   Grenada                                   1            2            4           7
   Guyana                                     1            1            1           3
   Dominica                                 1            1            0           2
   French Guyana                       1            0            1           2
   Bermuda                                  0            2            4           6
   Guadeloupe                            0            2            1           3
   U. S. Virgin Islands                0            1            3           4
   Turks & Caicos                       0            1            2           3
   Antigua & Barbuda                 0            1            0           1
   St.Vincent & Grenadines       0            1            0           1
   St. Kitts & Nevis                      0             0            2           2
   Cayman Islands                     0             0           1           1
   Netherlands Antilles              0             0           1           1
   Anguilla                                    0             0           1           1