Ahye completes NAAA sprint double; Carifta star Waldron shines

Trinidad and Tobago's 2024 Carifta team captain Tafari Waldron and ace female sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye were among the standout performers at the National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAA) track and field series meet three at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on April 14.

Waldron, who won one of TT's four gold medals at the 51st edition of the Carifta Games in Grenada a couple of weeks ago, showed off his long distance prowess in the men's 3,000-metre race when he beat seasoned long-distance runner and training partner Nicholas Romany into a second-place finish.

Earlier in the day's proceedings, Romany topped a nine-man field in the men's 1,500-metre event when he stopped the clock in 4:01.33. Donell Francis (4:08.51) placed second, while Darius Harding (4:21.68) placed third.

In the 3,000-metre race, though, Waldron, who defended his boys' under-20 5,000-metre crown at the 2024 Carifta Games, upstaged Romany as he stopped the clock in the seven-and-a-half lap event in 9:02.95. As he came around the bend and into the final straightaway, Waldron glanced over his shoulder several times as Romany tried to close the gap, but the Carifta champion was a comfortable winner.

Romany crossed the line in 9:07.96, while Burnley's Harding again had to settle for third spot as he stopped the clock in 9:58.09.

In the much-anticipated sprint events, Ahye, who copped both the NAAA and First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year awards for 2023, took top spot among the competitors in the women's 100-metre and 200-metre events.

In both of her races, Ahye faced opposition from 2024 Carifta silver medallist Symphony Patrick. On both occasions, though, Ahye's power, speed and experience came to the fore as Patrick grabbed second spot in either race.

Running in lane four in the last of seven 100-metre races, Ahye shrugged off the attention of Patrick in lane three to win in 11.47 seconds. Patrick finished in 11.99 seconds, Simplex's Sierra Joseph placed third in 12.09 seconds and Abilene Wildcats' Kadija Pickering placed fourth in 12.32 seconds. The top four athletes in section seven recorded the best times across all the 100-metre races.

In the women's 200-metre field, Ahye was the only athlete to dip under 24 seconds when she won the third of six races in 23.53 seconds.

The 32-year-old Ahye was challenged around the curve by Patrick, but she pulled away down the home straight to record a comfortable win. Patrick clocked 24.25 seconds and also notched the second-best time overall. Stallion's Angel Cumberbatch (25.27 seconds) won the sixth and final 200-metre race and grabbed the third-best time overall.

In the men's 100-metre sprint event, Phoenix Athletics' Jaden De Souza recorded the fastest time of 78 competitors when he won section seven in 10.50 seconds. PFNJ's Danoyon Alexis (10.68 seconds) won section eight and clocked the second-fastest time overall, while Mounting Eagles' Elijah Joseph (10.70 seconds) won section 12 and had the third-best time overall.

Four-time World Championship silver medallist Darrel Brown also featured in the men's 100-metre field, and the 39-year-old won section three in his typically smooth style in 10.84 seconds – the sixth-best time overall.

In the men's 200-metre event, Joseph topped all comers when he won section five in convincing fashion in 20.80 seconds. Kion Benjamin, a 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist with TT's 4x100-metre team, clocked a second-best time overall when he won section four in 20.95 seconds.

There was also healthy head-to-head competition among two Carifta 2024 medallists when Keneisha Shelbourne and Tenique Vincent battled for women's high jump supremacy. Shelbourne got the better of her younger compatriot, though, as she cleared the bar at 1.60 metres, with Vincent managing a 1.55-metre height for second. At Carifta, Shelbourne leaped to a bronze medal in the girls' under-20 high jump event, while Vincent also got third spot in the under-17 equivalent.

Another Carifta medallist, Peyton Winter, ascended to top spot in the women's shot put with a throw of 11.68 metres to top a seven-woman field.

Among the other winners on the day was Samantha Shukla, who got a middle-distance double on the day with victories in both the women's 800-metre and 1,500-metre events.

University of TT Patriots' Kristopher La Touche also had a double haul as he won the men's high jump and triple jump events.