Archibald, Smith cop sprint doubles at Early Season Classic

Guyana’s aspiring CARIFTA athletes got some much-needed competition on Sunday at the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora, while the older athletes got themselves tuned at the first official meet of the year for the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG).
The “Early Season Classic” also saw the return of Olympian Emanuel Archibald, who lived up to expectations by pulling off the sprint double.
Archibald clocked 10.40s and 21.83s respectively for the 100m and 200m wins. in the 100m dash, he was followed across the line by Akeem Stewart and Loniel Marks both from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), who clocked 10.67s and 10.89s respectively.
Marks moved up a podium spot with 21.88s for second in the 200m while Hopetown Flames’ Revon Williams completed the top three with 22.17s.
On the distaff side, Keliza Smith reigned supreme with 11.85s and 24.67s to cop the sprint double. In the 100m, her clubmates Karese Lloyd and Athaley Hinckson clocked 12.01s and 12.65s for an all-Running Brave podium.
Lloyd was also the runner-up in the 200m with 27.07s while Bladen Hall’s Nalicia Glen crossed the line in 27.09s for third.

Adriel Austin of Running Brave picked up wins in her pet events, the 400m and 800m races. Stopping the clock at 56.73s and 2 minutes 18.54s, Austin enjoyed a personal best run in the 400m.
The 400m was, once again, a Running Brave-dominated race, with Naris McPherson and Attoya Harvey clocking 57.16s and 58.39s respectively to complete the podium.
While Attoya Harvey crossed the line in 2:20.12 for second in the 800m event, Upper Demerara Secondary Schools’ Hannah Joseph broke into the top three with 2:24.08.
The 1500n event saw Shaqua Tyrell of Christianburg Wismar, taking first place with 4 minutes 54.70s, while Hannah Joseph clocked 5 minutes, 10.24s and Police’s Jelesa Wright 5 minutes 18.56s for third place.
Revon Williams tasted victory in the men’s 400m with a 48.44s run. Trailing behind was Diliza Lyken of Bladen Hall who finished in 49.62s while GDF’s Michael James was third in 50.42s.

Simeon Adams (RB) kept his 800m run under two minutes, clocking 1:57.48 for first place. Seon Booker (Bladen Hall) and Ronell Newton (Upper Demerara Secondary School) completed the podium with times of 2:00.35 and 2:01.49.
Newton rebounded for a win in the 1500m race, clocking 4:21.00, in front of second- and third-place finishers Timothy France (4:48.00) and Jamal Warde (4:59.77), both of Ruralites.
Also flexing their skills on Sunday were CARIFTA 2022 qualifiers Wesley Tyndall (RB), who leaped to 6.88m in the long jump and Anisha Gibbons (Ruralites), who had a 32.64m javelin throw.
The AAG, according to President Aubrey Hutson, is considering more meets to provide more qualification opportunities for the CARIFTA athletes.