The men’s 100m is Friday’s featured event

The Cayman Islands Athletic Association (CIAA) will stage the 22nd CUC National Junior & Senior Championships at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex, Friday and Saturday (20-21 June).

Perhaps the most exciting part of the championships is that the fastest man in the Cayman Islands will be crowned by the end of today’s program, which starts at 4:00 pm. With Kareem Streete-Thompson in semi-retirement, and not having competed since 2006, there has been much debate in the athletic fraternity as to just who is the fastest.

The possible starting list consists of Stephon Johnson, Tyrell Cuffy, Kemar Hyman, Christopher Sampson, Rhymiech Adolphus, Wallace Little, Robert Ibeh, Richard Ibeh, Alton Williams and Anthony Chin. The men’s 100m promises a tight race that may produce the fastest time to be run on home soil by a Caymanian male.

On Saturday, the men’s 400m and 200m will highlight the daylong competition, which starts at 9:00 am.

The men’s 200m should be a straight tussle between the Kings College duo of Hyman and Cuffy as well as the locally based Johnson.

In the men’s 400m, there should be keen competition among David Hamil, Robert Ibeh and Junior Hinds.

In the Under-8 Girls Division, Dannika Lyn will try to preserve her lead over Johyleeha Williams and Aaliyah Morris. In the boys section, Bodden Town’s Justyn Powell has an almost insurmountable lead over Taj Yen and Jondane Dawkins.

Ashanti Myles also has a commanding lead in the Girls 8-9 Division over Shaelyn Roberts and Shalysa Wray. As for the Inter-Primary Division 2, Champion Boy John A Cumber’s Karim Murray will have to be at his best if he is to hold off the sustained challenge of Red Bay’s Brian Walters and Bodden Town’s Jabari Clarke.

Bodden Town’s dynamic duo of Jada Wright and Pearl Morgan are engaged in a keen battle for that division’s top female athlete, while in the absence of Jamal Walton, Jeahvon Jackson seems assured of the Boys Division title.

Cayman Brac’s Amelia Gillespie has a tight grip on the Girls 12-13 title, but both Melinda McLean and Cristen Jones should not be counted out of the reckoning.

In the boy’s section of this division, the title is up for grabs with Jonathan Frederick nursing the slimmest of leads over O’Laro Waite and Anfernee Wright.

Sheyla Torres, who should hold off Chantelle Morrison in the expected absence of Ashleigh Nalty from the championships, will seriously challenge Nalty’s grip on the 14-16 Girls title.

Arron McLaughlin seems all set to take the boys section of this division over Shannon Crichlow and Neville Marston.

The closest race is in the 17-19 Boys Division. Currently Steven Reid leads over Joseph Suberan, Daryl Lashley, Mitchell Forbes and Shane Evans, but the margin of his lead is tenuous at best and a strong finish by Evans may tip the title in his favour. A fit Johnson should take the overall men’s crown from both Adolphus and Sampson.