Christopher Crawford became the first Tobago athlete to qualify for a 2022 regional track and field games, at the third development meet, hosted by the National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA), at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Sunday.
In a recent Newsday interview, the Tobago Falcons shot put and discus specialist said his goal this season was to qualify for the Caribbean Under-23 Games, set for June 29 in Guadeloupe.
Competing in the men's discus category, his monstrous third-round extension landed at 52.47 metres, to eclipse the required standard of 46.34m. Crawford still has some work to do in the shot put, as his best effort of 15.61m was below the 17.40m mark.
Alexxe Henry of Zenith Athletic Club continued her brilliant form with a second consecutive sprint double. Henry produced a personal best of 12.29 seconds, to lead the field in the girls under-17 100 metres.
Henry shaved 0.4 seconds off her previous best of 12.69 seconds, which she achieved at the second NAAA development meet, at the Dwight Yorke Stadium a fortnight ago.
Henry's performance ranks her as the premier female sprinter across any age group in Tobago. Ale Ayode Simmons of Memphis Pioneers notched second place overall in 12.36 seconds, followed by Kaziah Peters of Simplex, in 12.56 seconds.
Henry flashed a time of 25.50 seconds in the 200 metres, ahead of Peters (25.59 seconds) and Simmons (25.73 seconds).
Jinelle Campbell of Mason Hall Police Youth Club had good performances in her three events. She improved her under-20 shot put season's best from 11.10m to 10.71m. Tsiah Noray of Falcons occupied second, with a throw of 7.98 m.
Noray was first in the discus with 24.81m, Campbell could only manage 24.33m.
Campbell ran 13.15 seconds in girls under-20 100 metres to secure fourth position. Taking the top three positions were Reneisha Andrews of Cougars (12.14 seconds), Kayah La Fortune of Simplex (12.30 seconds) and Kayla Fortune of One A Week Athletic Club (12.93 seconds).
Miguel Taylor of Mercury dipped under 11 seconds in the 100 metres for the first time in his career.
The former Carifta athlete stopped the clock at 10.93 seconds to occupy second place.
Revell Webster of Concorde Athletic Club, who won the event in 10.73 seconds, also went under the Carifta standard of 10.74 seconds. Jaden De Souza of Phoenix rounded off the top three in 11.02 seconds.
Carlleyne Massiah of RSS Phoenix was first to the line in the men 800 metres. Messiah clocked two minutes 16 seconds in the one-lap run. He also placed third in the 1,500 distance, with a time of four minutes 32.12 seconds.
Other notable performances among the Tobago contingent were Q Jhea Stewart of Zenith and Moses Mc Conney of Falcons.
Stewart's impressive run of one minute 1.62 seconds in the girls under-17 400m was only bettered by Jenna Marie Thomas of IG Fast Lane and Diamond Paul of Point Fortin New Jets, who both ran under the minute mark.
Thomas reached the finish line in 59.62 seconds, and Paul clocked 59.90 seconds.
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