JAMAICAN athletes at the Junior Pan Am Championship in Miramar, Florida were off to a very good start on Friday’s Day one of competition as they picked up five medals, which included two gold, two silver and one bronze.  Travis Smikle and Chrisann Gordon were the gold medalists. Undoubtedly the star for Jamaica was former Calabar High School athlete Smikle who wrote his name in the record books after erasing the two year old record of 65.34 metres, set by the United States’ Finlay Mason, with an impressive new mark of 66.51 metres to end his final junior competition for Jamaica on a high note. It has been a wonderful season for Smikle, the 2009 bronze medalist in the event. Smikle gave a lot of credit to his high school coach Julian Robinson for his success.  “I came into the Championships with some discomfort with my throwing arm but prior to the completion I spoke to my coach and he told me not to worry and I am to do what I normally do and it resulted in a record and a gold medal. It is an overwhelming feeling to know that I was able to win my last event for Jamaica as a junior", he said. In winning, Smikle also pulled his teammate, Fredrick Dacres, to a medal as the World Youth Champion finished third for the bronze with 57.24 metres.  The United States’ Gabriel Hull took the silver with a throw of 57.78 metres.

It was finally gold at an international championship for Holmwood Technical’s Chrisann Gordon as she grabbed the gold in the Girl's 400 metres in 52.62 seconds.  She denied the United States duo of Diamond Dixon and Phyllis Francis who had to settle for silver and bronze in 53.10 and 53.61 seconds respectively. It was indeed sweet redemption for Gordon who was one of the favourites to win at the World Youth Champion two weeks ago but finished down the track. Gordon who was a late replacement for Anastacia Scott in the event drew the dreaded lane eight.  Despite being disappointed in the lane draw prior to the race, she used it to her advantage as she was out of the blocks very fast, catching her opponents by surprise and by the time she approached the final 100 metres she had a commanding lead.  She kept her form well to score a good win, ending her season on a high. Her teammate Nicolate Martin finished eighth in 58.72 seconds.

In the first track final of the afternoon, the Girl's 100 metres hurdles, World Junior Championships finalist, Daniele Williams out of Johnson C. Smith University, was in immaculate form.  She ran a blinder to finish second in a personal best of 13.32 seconds, much to the delight of her coach Lennox Graham who was inside the stadium to watch his charge. Favourite, Trinity Wilson of the United States, took the event in a fast 13.17 seconds with her teammate Brigitte Owens coming in third for bronze in 13.34 seconds.  Jamaica’s other entrant in the event, Tonique Sobah, was fifth in 13.71 seconds.

It was a historic start for Jamaica in the morning session of the competition as Canadian born Adaira Levy gave Jamaica its first medal in the hammer throw at these Championships as she captured the silver medal with a throw of 55.79 metres. The United States finished first and third in the event as Shelby Ashe took gold with 59.25 metres and Karen Hennnig captured the bronze with a throw of 54.18 metres.

In the remaining finals on the opening day there was no luck for the other Jamaicans as the best placed finish came from World Youth 100 metres champion Odail Todd.  He finished fourth in the Boy's 100 metres final in a personal best of 10.41 seconds. Marvin Bracy of the United States captured the gold in a fast 10.09 seconds.

In the Girl’s 100 metres final, it was fifth and eighth place for Natasha Morrison and Celia Walters who clocked 11.59 and 11.93 seconds respectively. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye was too good for the field as she won the gold in 11.25 seconds getting the better of the United States’ Keilah Tyson who was second in 11.39 seconds and The Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan who finished third in 11.46 seconds.  In the Boy's 400 metres, Javier Bell’s 49.38seconds could only give him eighth place.

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Contributed by Raymond Graham