Jamaica ended the 2022 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, The Bahamas on Sunday with 24 medals, half of which were earned on the third and final day.
Leading the charge with gold-medal performances were Traves Smikle in men’s discus, Shiann Salmon in the women’s 400m hurdles and Andrew Hudson in the men’s 200m.
Smikle claimed the first gold medal for Jamaica on Sunday when he threw 62.89m to beat compatriot Fredrick Dacres (62.79m) and Cuba’s Torres Diaz with 62.13m.
Salmon then turned the tables on Janieve Russell in the women’s 400m hurdles final, reversing the placing from the Commonwealth Games earlier this month.
Salmon won in 54.22seconds, with Russell claiming the silver medal in 54.87 seconds. Third place went to American Cassandra Tate on 55.62 seconds.
The American-born Hudson, who was recently cleared to represent Jamaica, then scorched the track in the 200m final, clocking 19.87 seconds to beat the American pair of Kyree King (20.00) and Josephus Lyles (20.18 seconds).
Hudson was pleased with his personal best effort and rewards at his first championships in the Jamaican colours.
“Taking the win in a PB is really special,” he said. “I treated it like the World Championships. I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but it’s been a great experience. With the World Championships next year being in August, this was a test trial to see if I could run fast this late in the season and I did.”
In the men’s long jump Jamaica had to settle for the silver and bronze medals courtesy of Tajay Gayle (7.81m) and Shawn=D Thompson (7.75m). The event was won by American William Williams with 7.89m.
Meanwhile, Adelle Tracey claimed her second medal of the championships after claiming the silver in the women’s 1500m.
She clocked 4:08.42 minutes behind American Heather Maclean (4:04.53 minutes). Maclean’s teammate Helen Schlachtenhaufen (4:10.43 minutes) took the bronze medal.
The women’s quarter- mile relay team of Andrenette Knight, Junelle Bromfield, Salmon and Russell were second with 3:26.32 minutes behind the Americans who ran 3:23.54 minutes.
The men’s quartet of Demish Gaye, Karayme Bartley, Jevon Francis and Christopher Taylor were also second with 3:05.47 minutes behind the Americans who won in 3:01.79 minutes.
The Bahamas were third in 3:06.21 minutes.
In the 4x100m relays Jamaica had to settle for the bronze medals in both the men’s and women’s events.
The Americans won the women’s 4x100m relay final in 42.35 seconds ahead of The Bahamas with 43.34 seconds, with Jamaica next with 43.39 seconds.
In the men’s equivalent, The US won in 38.29 seconds ahead of Trinidad and Tobago in 38.94, the same time accredited to Jamaica in third.