STATEN ISLAND, New York — Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High marked her indoor track debut in style, winning two medals, including a gold, on the final day of the inaugural New York International Showcase at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Saturday.
Douglas, who earned a 200m bronze at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, last August, claimed gold in the Girls’ 300m Invitational time final. The 17-year-old clocked 37.78 seconds to win the opening heat, easily the fastest time across all seven sections. Gina Certo of the Academy of The Holy Angels claimed second overall with a time of 38.41, while Bayleigh Minor of Fort Bend Christian Academy secured third place in 38.53 after finishing second to Douglas in their heat.
Earlier, Douglas secured silver in the Girls’ 60m dash invitational, crossing the line in 7.44 seconds. Trinidad and Tobago’s Lisa Raye, a senior at West Warwick High School, claimed victory in a stadium-record time of 7.24 seconds, adding to the 200m invitational gold she won on Friday. Amirah Nesmith of Cheltenham High School, Pennsylvania, took third place with a time of 7.45 seconds.
“I was very nervous going into the 300m because I had only practised it in training, but midway through the race, I felt comfortable and knew I could do it,” Douglas said. “Running indoors was challenging at first, but I’m grateful for the experience.”
Jamaican high schools added two more gold medals to their tally, with victories from Natassia Fletcher of Hydel High and Calabar’s 4x200m relay team.
Fletcher, the reigning Carifta Games U17 400m champion, dominated the Girls’ 500m varsity final, winning comfortably in 1:12.98. Maritza Sampson of Woodlawn High School, Maryland, claimed second place with a time of 1:18.37, while Ferrah Hill of Minisink Valley, New York, finished third in 1:19.49.
Nickecoy Bramwell, who captured attention at last year’s 51st Carifta Games in Grenada by shattering Usain Bolt’s Under-17 400m record, anchored Calabar High to victory in the Boys’ 4x200m relay varsity event. The team set a new stadium record, clocking an impressive 1:26.90. Virginia-based South Country High School secured second place with a time of 1:27.60, while Conroe Grand Oaks High School claimed third with 1:28.73.
The relay triumph marked Calabar’s third gold medal of the meet, following Shaquane Gordon’s win in the Boys’ 55m hurdles invitational and Jamal Stephenson’s victory in the Boys’ 55m dash invitational on Friday.
Daniel Wright of Excelsior secured a fifth medal for Jamaica High School on the day, taking silver in the Boys’ 300m invitational, finishing in 34.17 behind Jaylen Bennett of Phillips Exeter Academy (33.91). Nicholas Sealey of Harry S Truman High School took bronze in 34.22.
Hydel’s Sashana Johnson placed fourth in the Girls’ 400m Invitational with a time of 56.23 seconds. Taylor Aska of Union Catholic High School won in 54.01.
In the Boys’ 60m invitational, Johan-Ramaldo Smythe (6.91) of Muschett High and Ryeem Walker (7.11) of Excelsior finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Elijah Amenra of Archbishop Carroll High School took the title in 6.81 seconds, narrowly beating Shaun McCoullum (6.82) and Gabriel Scott (6.82) in a photo finish.