Following two months of training a group of thirty young athletes, aged 6-14 years, and four officials represented the Cayman Islands at the 11th renewal of the Caribbean Union of Teachers Track & Field Championships staged at the National, Stadium in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. They were competing against athletes from 13 other countries in the region.
The team ended the meeting with four gold medals, four silver medals and four bronze medals. This performance placed the Cayman Islands fifth overall in the points standing behind repeat Championship winners Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and a resurgent Grenada.
In the Boys U15 Long Jump, Travis Webb got the Silver medal.
Ashleigh Nalty produced a Personal Best time in the Girls U13 Long Jump as she took silver behind Barbados' Akela Jones.
Chantelle Morrison took gold in the U13 Girls 100m and Jouri Haylock also placed first the U9 Boys 150m.
Then Vashti Morris added the Bronze medal in the U13 Girls 400m.
Back on the field Daneliz Thomas drew on her softball experience to throw the cricket ball 30.02 metres and get silver medal in the event.
At the end of Day 1 of the Meet Cayman's medal collection consisted of 2 Gold 3 Silver and 1 Bronze Medals, while the team held an overall 6th place position.
Day Two opened with the Boys U9 Long Jump and Jouri Haylock taking gold with a leap of 3.67 metres.
Ashleigh Nalty took to the long jump pit for the U13 Girls Long Jump managing a third placed finish with a leap of 4.42 metres. In the U9 Boys 100m Finals Jouri Haylock earned his third gold medal of the Meet while in the U13 Girls 200m Finals Justin Nalty grabbed the Silver.
The U9 Boys relay team of Karim Murray, Livingston Bailey, Bryan Walters and Jouri Haylock and U13 Girls 4x100m relay team of Vashti Morris, Melinda McLean, Kristen Dixon and Ashleigh Nalty then added another bronze medal each.
The team was coached by Tyrone Yen and Harcourt Watson, managed by Paula Erskine while Lanisia McLaughlin-Barnes acted as chaperone supported by Carneth Thomas.
After the event the Cayman Islands Athletic Association thanked the Government of the Cayman Islands, without whose financial backing the team would not have been able to participate so successfully at these Championships. The CIAA also thanked Progressive Distributors Ltd. for their kind donation of Gatorade and carrying case for the team members as well as those parents and well-wishers who accompanied the team and whose presence and support was an invaluable contribution to the achievements of these youngsters.
The CIAA, through its President, indicated to the President of the CUT that the Association would like to bid to host either the 12th (2008) or 13th (2010) renewal of the Championships, which is an invaluable developmental tool for the regions young Athletes.
