Jamaica claims 16 medals with eight gold on opening day of NACAC U18 and U23 meet in Mexico

Jamaican track and field athletes made an immediate mark at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in Apizaco, Mexico, collecting 16 medals — eight of them gold — on Friday.

Bouwahjgie Nkrumie and Lavanya Williams spearheaded the results by taking the Under-23 men's and women's 100-metre crowns. The island also claimed both mixed 4x400m relay titles in the Under-18 and Under-23 divisions.

Further golds arrived through Joseph Salmon in the Under-23 discus, Kamari Kennedy in the Under-18 discus, Antonio Anderson in the Under-18 boys' triple jump, and Zavien Bernard in the Under-18 girls' triple jump.

Nkrumie and Williams had already set the tone in the morning heats, topping their qualifying rounds with wind-assisted victories before repeating that form in the finals. Jamaica filled the first two places in both Under-23 100m races.

Nkrumie crossed the line in 9.92 seconds with a 2.7m/s tailwind, while Damor Miller followed in 10.03 seconds and Puerto Rico's Adrian Canales earned bronze in 10.08 seconds. Williams posted 10.91 seconds with a 2.1m/s wind, ahead of Alana Reid at 11.05 seconds and Frances Colon of Puerto Rico in third at 11.23 seconds.

In the men's Under-18 100m final, Kai Kelly secured silver with 10.34 seconds at 1.6m/s, one hundredth of a second behind Trinidad and Tobago winner Mekhi Guischard-Yearwood, who ran 10.33 seconds. J'Quan Douglas, also of Trinidad and Tobago, placed third in 10.48 seconds. Tyler Morgan finished fifth for Jamaica in a personal-best 10.57 seconds.

Malayia Duncan also improved her personal best for the second time on Friday, running 11.54 seconds at 1.8m/s to take silver in the women's Under-18 100m. Jazae Johnson of The Bahamas won in 11.42 seconds, with Costa Rica's Rihana Mora Saint third in 11.59 seconds. Daniela Clarke was sixth for Jamaica in 11.76 seconds.

Salmon dominated the Under-23 discus with a throw of 57.19 metres, leaving Puerto Rico's Nathan Villegas second on 54.79m and Mexico's Antonio Diaz third on 49.83m.

Anderson leapt 14.93m with a -0.7m/s wind reading to win the men's Under-18 triple jump, ahead of Jenico Gibson of The Bahamas at 14.55m (-1.5m/s) and Talshawn Edwards, who took bronze with 14.43m (0.5m/s).

Bernard, unbeaten in the outdoor triple jump this season, added another gold with a mark of 12.73m (-0.6m/s).

Identical twins Britannie Johnson (52.58m) and Britannia Johnson (51.72m) claimed silver and bronze in the women's Under-23 discus behind Trinidad's Lalenii Grant, who won with 53.72m.

Zoeyann Plummer was runner-up in the women's Under-18 discus with 44.25m as Mexico's Kendra Silvery Duany took the title on 48.02m. Jamie Lee Tulloch placed fifth with 38.52m.