JAMAICA did not have a good day on Saturday’s second day of competition at the Junior Pan Am Championship in Miramar, Florida as they only added one medal to the five garnered on Friday's opening day.  Only Edwin Allen’s, Kimberly Williamson was among the medals for her country.  Williamson finished third in the Girl's high jump with a height of 1.80 metres, the same as second place Alyxandria Treasure of Canada who took the silver medal. The United States’ Shaney Briscoe, who came to the Championships as the co-favourite with Williamson, captured the gold medal with a height of 1.83 metres. 

It was a slow start for Jamaica in the morning session of competition as, although in several finals, none of the athletes were able to finish in the top three.   Former St. Elizabeth High long jumper, Rochelle Farqhuarson who just completed her first year at Mississippi States University and who was favoured to finish at least in the top three, was the first Jamaican to take the field in the morning session in the final of the Girl's long jump. Bothered by strong wind during the competition, Farquharson had three foul attempts and could only manage fifth place with a leap of 5.80 metres. In another final in the morning session there were no medals for Edwin Allen’s pair of throwers in the Girl's discus as Danniel Thomas, in her first competition for the country, placed fifth with 48.12 metres while Sashagaye Marston was seventh with a throw of 45.92 metres.  In the Shot Put final, which was delayed from the previous evening due to lightening, neither of the Jamaican entrants, Kellion Knibb and Daina Levy took part.    On the track Everton Clarke and Chadwick Hinds failed to advance from the preliminary round of the Boy's 200 metres.  Clarke (21.56) was fifth in his heat while Hinds (21.90) was seventh. Later in the afternoon in the final of the Girl's event, Celia Walters finished at the back of the field in eighth place in 24.24 seconds as the Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan wrote her name in the record books, producing a National record of 22.70 seconds to win the gold medal. It was also a world leading junior time for Strachan who is also the 2011 Carifta Games Under 20 Champion. It was close for second with Trinidad and Tobago’s Kai Savon getting the silver in 22.97 seconds, the same time done by the United States Jessica Davis who got the bronze medal.

It was also gold for the Caribbean in the Boy's 200 metres as Grenada’s Kirani James once again proved that he is much better than his age group, winning the gold medal in 20.53 seconds while running in a positive wind of 2.2 metres per second.  Also in the afternoon session, Jamaica’s Yannick Hart came close to giving the country its first medal of the day.  He finished a close fourth in the Boy's 110 metres hurdles final in 14.00 seconds just being edged out for the bronze medal by Brazil’s Joao Oliveira who got third in 13.97 seconds. In the middle distance events Rojeek Rochester finished ninth in the Boy's 1500 metres final in 4:04.48 and Desreen Montague was fifth in the Girl's 800 metres final in 2:13.08.

Following four events in the Girl's Heptathlon, Janieve Russell is on target to medal in the event as she is in second spot on 3319 points, 172 points behind leader Tamara Souza of Brazil who is on 3491 points. In her four events yesterday she won the 100 metres hurdles in a personal best 14.12 seconds and the 200 metres in 24.25 seconds and also had a personal best of 10.87 metres for fourth in the shot put.  She was second in the high jump with 1.70 metres.

In another final on Saturday involving Jamaica, it was a mishap for Javarn Gallimore in the Boy's 400 metres hurdles. After winning his heat earlier in the day and being the fastest qualifier to the 52.17 seconds, Gallimore was out very fast in the final and looked like giving the country a medal in the event, but pulled up with some eighty metres to go with a hamstring injury.  The United States’ Monte Corley raced to an impressive 51.21 seconds to win the event and take home the gold medal ahead of his teammate Jordin Andrade who was second in 52.09 seconds.  Barbados’ Kion Joseph finished third for the bronze medal in 52.47 seconds.

On Sunday's final day of competition Jamaica will be hoping to increase their medal tally coming as near as possible to the 14 medals garnered two years ago in Trinidad and Tobago.   2009 bronze medalist in the Girl's 400 metres hurdles Danielle Dowie, who now attends the University of Texas, will be looking forward to bettering her bronze.  She will be competing against the Bahamian Katruina Seymour who should be a major factor, following her bronze at the Senior CAC Championships in Puerto Rico last week. Jamaica will also look to shot putter Ashinia Miller along with the four relays, to add to their medal tally.

Contributed by Raymond Graham