CARIFTA Games: Double gold for Jamaica’s Penn in U-17 high and triple jump
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chavez Penn was a double winner for Jamaica, winning the boys Under -17 high jump and triple jump gold medals as the hosts enjoyed another good day at the 49th CARIFTA Games at the National Stadium.
Penn produced a personal best of 2.05m, beating his previous best of 2.00m set earlier this month to take the gold.
Andrew Stone of the Cayman Islands, who won the long jump on Saturday, was second with 2.00m, with another Jamaican Aaron McKenzie, who has a personal best of 2.13m took the bronze with 1.95m.
Penn returned later in the day to write his name in the books for a second time, winning the triple jump with a wind-aided 14.63m (2.2m/s) as Euan Young, also from Jamaica, won the silver medal with a wind-aided 14.32m (5.1m/s). Jonathon Rogers of the Bahamas was third with 13.99m (1.7m/s).
Late Saturday, Cayman Island’s Stone won the Under-17 boys long jump with 6.76m (-0.6m/s), beating Trinidad and Tobago’s Andrew Steele- 6.61m (-0.6m/s) just a centimetre ahead of Jamaica’s Young who was third with 6.60m (-0.4m/s).
Despite placing third at the trials last month, Jaydon Hibbert won the boys Under 20 long jump with a mark of 7.62m (1.6m/s), his fourth-best mark of the year.
Hibbert, who is the world Under 20 leader in both the long and triple jumps will return for the triple jump on today’s final day as he seeks to match his ISSA/GraceKennedy success from a week ago.
Saint Vincent’s Verrol Sam, who was fourth in the Under 20 high jump on Saturday, took the silver medal with 7.52m (1.6m/s) while Barbados’ Aren Spencer was third with a wind-aided 7.48m (2.8m/s).
Jamaica’s second entrant Balvin Israel finished fifth with a best of a wind-aided 7.22m (3.6m/s).
Despiro Wray won the Under 17 shot out with 15.36m, beating Nathaniel McHardy of the Bahamas who threw 14.71m with just two athletes taking part.
Grenada’s Rayvohn Telesford won the Under 17 javelin with 62.80m, well ahead of second-place Addison Alickson James of Dominica- 50.17m and Dylan Morin of Martinique- 36.41m.