Rising junior track athlete Jenna-Marie Thomas charts off to Geneva, Ohio, United States on Wednesday on a full athletic scholarship at SPIRE Institute and Academy.
Thomas, 14, currently holds four NGC/NAAATT National Junior Championship titles having swept the girls’ U-15 60-metre hurdles, 200m, 300m hurdles and 400m events at the annual meet in July. There, she also earned U-17 shot put silver.
The IG Fastlane Athletics Club sprinter/hurdler will continue her high school studies at SPIRE in grade ten and will focus on developing in the 200 and 400m sprints, as well as 100m and 400m hurdles.
Thomas was pleased to secure the scholarship at such a young age and is intent on making the most of her budding athletic career. She leaves Holy Faith Convent, Couva to head to Ohio.
“I attained this scholarship by displaying great potential on the track, and academically, which provided the opportunity for me to qualify and receive a full athletic scholarship.
“Getting a scholarship at this age was unexpected; however, receiving one would have been part of my goals as an athlete. Some of my main goals and aspirations I would like to achieve while there are improving and excel in both sprint and hurdle events,” she said.
Locally, she’s been coached by IG Fastlane’s Samuel Roach for the past seven years. Her hurdles coaches are Nataki Dasant, Heathcliffe Thorne, Aiesha Colthrust and Kern Alexis.
Thomas also earned girls’ U-17 4x100m relay bronze at the Carifta Games in Jamaica earlier this year. She was fifth in the 400m final.
Thomas also finished fourth in the women’s 400m event at the 2022 National Open Championships, clocking 57.89 seconds.
Despite her experience on the track, Thomas said she was still a bit nervy to start school in the US. However, the speedster wants to embrace the opportunity and face the challenges head on, in pursuit of a successful athletic career.
“I am bit anxious but mostly excited to study because of the new experiences. I think balancing school and sport would be quite similar to what I normally do just balancing a new environment would be a bit challenging in view of the fact that the climate is different to my home country.
“I plan on approaching everything with a positive attitude in that way it will be one step closer to achieving my goals,” she added.
Her personal bests are; 60m hurdles (9.53s), 100m (12.82s), 200m (25.90s), 100m hurdles (15.31s), 300m hurdles (44.89s), 400m (57.89s), 400m hurdles (1.05s), high jump (1.53m) and shot put (10.06m).
Looking ahead, Thomas said she would like to spend most of her time working on the 400m hurdles.
GC Foster College secure Men’s and Women’s titles at Inter Collegiate Track & Field Championships
GC Foster College emerged as overall winners on the Men’s and Women’s sides at Friday’s Inter Collegiate Track and Field Championships held at the GC Foster College track.
The men finished with 203 points, 71 points ahead of UWI Mona in second while the rest of the top five included Mico University College (77 points), Moneague College (50 points) and Shortwood Teachers College (39 points).
On the women’s side, GC Foster racked up 175 points wo win ahead of Moneague College (96 points), Mico University College (84 points) and UWI Mona (74 points).
Lushane Wilson was a standout performer on the men’s side, jumping a record 2.21m to win the high jump, breaking the late Germaine Mason’s record of 2.20m done all the way back in 2003. Wilson also won the triple jump with 15.38m ahead of teammate Chevau Parkinson (14.89m) and UWI Mona’s Jeremy Hibbert (14.29m).
GC Foster’s Kadrian Goldson was also in fine form, running 10.28 to win the 100m ahead of UWI Mona’s Guyanese Olympian, Emmanuel Archibald, who ran 10.35 for second. Goldson’s GC Foster teammate Odaine McPherson was third in 10.41. The 200m was won by UWI Mona’s Manzinho Barrett in 21.15 ahead of the GC Foster pair Jevaughn Whyte (21.20) and Michael Sharp (21.22).
Archibald rebounded to win the long jump in 7.55m ahead of triple jump runner-up Parkinson (6.83m) and GC Foster’s David Tomlinson (6.77m).
GC Foster’s Zandrion Barnes ran 45.75 for a comfortable victory in the 400m. UWI Mona’s Blaine Buckle was second in 48.01 while GC Foster’s Sage Primus ran 48.51 for third.
On the women’s side, GC Foster finished first and second in the 100m through Mickaell Moodie (11.65) and Keiffer Bailey (12.02) while UTECH’s SHanaka Anderson was third in 13.01.
The 400m saw a similar result for the hosts as Odeisha Nanton ran 55.94 for victory ahead of teammate Toniann Lindsay (57.57) while Moneague College’s Shanita Beckford was third in 58.99.
McCaskie hits second half-century of the match to lead Barbados Pride to seven-wicket win over Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at Queen's Park Oval
Opener Zachary McCaskie hit his second fifty of the game to lead the Barbados Pride to a seven-wicket victory over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force on day four of their fourth-round fixture at Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday.
The Pride started day four 52-2 off 23 overs, needing a further 66 runs to win with McCaskie and Jomel Warrican at the crease on 29 and zero, respectively.
Only Warrican was dismissed for the Bajans as they needed only 14.4 overs on Saturday to complete a successful chase.
They ended up 118-3 off 37.4 overs. McCaskie, who made a career-best 92 in the first innings, ended 55* while Jonathan Drakes produced a 29-ball 27*.
Bryn Charles took 3-29 off 16 overs for the Red Force.
Guyana upset Dominican Republic 3-2 to advance to semis at CRTTF Regional Championships
Guyana produced a massive upset win over The Dominican Republic to advance to the semi-finals of the men’s team category at the 2023 Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation Championships in Georgetown on Saturday.
The team of Shemar Britton, Elishaba Johnson, Paul David and Jonathan Van Lange combined to defeat Dom Rep 3-2 and guarantee the hosts at least a bronze medal.
Earlier, the hosts finished second in their group behind Cuba, who will take on Barbados in semi-final two after Guyana battle Puerto Rico on Saturday.
Guyana also advanced to the Women’s semi-finals after Chelsea Edgehill, Natalie Cummings, Thuraia Thomas and Jasmin Billingy combined to beat Barbados 3-0 on Friday. Cummings and Billingy won the doubles before Edgehill and Cummings both secured 3-0 singles wins. They will face Trinidad & Tobago in the semis while Barbados and Dominican Republic will contest the other semi-final.
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