Athletes get ready for T&F this weekend

The Cayman Islands Athletic Association (CIAA) will be staging the 2009 renewal of the Truman Bodden Track Meet on Saturday, 7 March, at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. With the Primary School football season now at an end and with the Inter-Primary Track & Field Championships now looming, the CIAA said it expects a good number of local athletes competing at this meet in preparation for these championships.

Athletes expected to participate at this meet include Carifta Games prospects, such as Chantelle Morrison, Ashleigh Nalty, Gizelle Wright, Melinda McLean, Kristen Dixon, Anissa Owen, Jahzenia Thomas, Avril Myers, Alexandra Terry, Travis Webb, Mauricio Terry and Joseph Suberan, as well as veterans from such past championships, such as Shane Evans, Robert Ibeh, Stephon Johnson and Rhymiech Adolphus. Much interest will also be focused on the younger rising athletes, such as Shenelle Stewart, Jada Wright, Pearl Morgan and Caribbean Under 150m silver medalist Mikayla McLaughlin and Under 11 Boys silver medalist Jouri Haylock.

The meet, which is sponsored by attorney-at-Law and former government minister Truman Bodden, has been staged for over 20 years and is the second major meet of the association’s calendar. Bodden has been an ardent supporter of track and field for more than two decades, and has assisted the association in obtaining corporate sponsorship from local business houses.

Registration is open to ages 6 and above and forms are available at the CIAA’s office at the Sports Complex or by contacting Coach Williams at 323-0163, Coach Yen at 925-6917 or Coach Wason at 916-6966. Registration closes at 6:00pm on Thursday 5 March 2009.

The CIAA invites the public to come out and show their support to the athletes, and says the meet promises to be exciting, as many of the athletes seek to improve their performances in the sprints, jumps, throws, hurdles and mid distance events.

The events on tap are listed below:

FIELD EVENTS AGE GROUPS
LONG JUMP M/F 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14 – 16, 17 -19, Open
HIGH JUMP M/F 10 -11, 12 -13, 14 -16, 17 – 19, Open
SHOT PUT M/F 12-13 14-16, 17-19, Open
DISCUS M/F 12 -13, 14 -16, 17 – 19, Open
JAVELIN M/F 12 -13, 14 – 16, 17 – 19, Open
BALL THROW M/F 6-7, 8-9, 10 – 11

RUNNING EVENTS AGE GROUP
60M Hurdles F 12 -13
80M Hurdles M 12 -13
400M Hurdles M/F 14 – 16, 17 – 19, Open
80M M/F 6 – 7, 8-9
100M M/F 10-11, 12-13, 14 – 16, 17 – 19, Open
800M M/F 10 -11, 12 – 13, 14-16, 17-19, Open
400M M/F 12-13, 14-16, 17-19, Open
150M M/F 8 – 9
200M M/F 10 -11, 12 – 13, 14-16, 17-19, Open
1500M M/F 14-16, 17-19, Open