Ricardo Chambers, 4x100m men secure NACAC gold

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

JAMAICA ENDED the three-day North America, Central America and Caribbean Under-23 Championships in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic with six medals.

Ricardo Chambers and the men's quarter-mile team secured gold medals while Wilbert Walker and Nickeisha Wilson bagged a silver each and Isa Phillips and Clora Williams pocketed bronze.

Chambers took the men's 400m in a championship record 45.09 seconds. He later teamed up with Huntley Thomas, Leford Green and Brian Steele to win the men's 4x400m in 3:03.86.

United States (3:05.10) and Bahamas (3:06.95) trailed Jamaica across the line.

Walker's silver medal came in the men's triple jump with a leap of 6.18m behind Cuban Osniel Tosca, who won in a champion-ship record 17.01m.

Meanwhile, Phillips secured his first medal in national colours when he crossed the line in 49.80 for third in the men's 400m hurdles.

CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD

Jamaica's other entry, Brian Steele, the NCAA silver medallist was fourth in 50.04. Ken Ferguson won the event in a new championship record 48.80 over his American teammate Ruben McCoy (49.56).

Wilson ran a personal best 56.77 for silver in the women's 400m hurdles. She had earlier run 13.64 for fifth in the women's 100m hurdles, which was won by Dawn Harper of United States (13.06).

In the women's 400m, Williams finished third 52.40.

Nyoka Cole (11.57) and Rose-Marie White (11.74) were fourth and sixth respectively in the women's 100m. American pair of Cleo Tyson (11.25) and Shalonda Solomon (11.30) finished one-two, both beating the previous meet record of 11.39 set by Jamaican Nadine Palmer.

In the field event, Zara Northover threw 14.90m for fifth in women's shot put. Amarachi Ukabam of United States (16.82m) beat her teammate Michelle (16.74m).

Rose-Mary Whyte leapt 5.96m to finish fifth in the women's long jump.

Yudelkis Fernandez Luis of Cuba won the event with a Championship record leap of 6.60m to beat Kierra Foster of United States (6.48m), who also bettered the previous mark of 6.28.

Wainard Talbert did not start in the men's 10000m or 5000m.

Head coach Jerry Holness had high praises for the team.

"Based on the team we carried we did fairly well," Holness said of the team which was without several top Under-23 athletes.

Holness said the Americans came with a very large contingent, full of quality out of the NCAA Championships.

"If we did not have the level of fighting power we wouldn't be able to match up to them," said Holness on the team's arrival yesterday

Jamaica entered only one relay team and according to Holness, they had to work hard to beat the United States.

"We were able to put a team out there and beat them in the men's 4x400m, which was the highlight.

"We did fairly well with six medals," he added.