TOLUCA, Mexico (CMC):Jamaica's Schillonie Calvert landed the women's 100-metres title and was the only Caribbean athlete winning on the opening day at the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 Championships on Friday.
Carlos Rafael of the Dominican Republic, Adonson Shallow of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Barbados' Keisha Walkes also secured podium positions for the Caribbean.
After topping the list of qualifiers in the semi-finals with a run of 11.41 seconds to win the first heat, Calvert, the 2005 World Youth Championships bronze medallist, returned a little over an hour later to win the finals in 11.24.
Time under season's best
The time was just outside her season's best of 11.23, done during the Jamaica Championships last month.
American Tawanna Meadows finished second in 11.36, just ahead of Jamaica's Samantha Henry, at 11.39. Barbara Pierre of Haiti was fourth in 11.45, while Barbados' Shakera Reece (11.60) and Mariela Sanchez (11.75) of Dominican Republic finished sixth and eighth respectively.
Barbadian 2006 World Junior finalist Ramon Gittens was the best placed Caribbean finisher in the men's event, following his personal best time of 10.33 for fifth.
Jamaica's Jesse Saunders could only manage seventh place with 10.39 - beating Cayman Islands' Tyrell Cuffy, who was eighth in 10.40.
Winning the event was American J-Mee Samuels in quick 10.09 over compatriot Evander Wells at 10.15.
Shot putt battle
The other three Caribbean medals on the opening day came in the field events.
Walkes featured in an interesting battle with American Sarah Stevens in the women's shot putt competition before losing out in the final round.
The 22-year-old was destined for gold in the event after taking the lead in the fourth round with a put of 15.98 metres.
But with one round to go in the competition, Stevens threw 16.04m to snatch the gold away from the Barbadian.
In the meantime, Rafael leapt 7.61m in the first round and then repeated the mark in the fifth round for a bronze in the men's long jump, while Shallow captured bronze in the men's discus with a mark of 50.91m.
