Mayagüez, Puerto Rico – Jamaica’s young athletes demonstrated their mettle at the 2023 Pan American U20 Championships, securing seven medals on the event’s penultimate day, on Saturday (6 Aug).
Leading the charge for Jamaica at the Pan American U20 Championships, were Abigail Martin, Daniel Beckford, Asharria Ulett, Royan Walters, and the girls’ 4x100m relay team, each earning a silver medal in their respective events.
In the morning session, Abigail Martin secured silver in the girls’ discus throw, with a mark of 55.47 meters. Canada’s Julia Tunks claimed the gold with a throw of 56.98 meters, while American Maddie Fey settled for the bronze with a distance of 52.70 meters.
Daniel Beckford’s silver medal came in the boys’ 110m hurdles after crossing the line at 13.52 seconds. He faced tough competition from USA’s Blaise Atkinson, who secured the gold in 13.46 seconds, while Brazil’s Jose Mendes da Silva took the third spot in 13.55 seconds.
In the girls’ 100m hurdles, Asharria Ulett’s 13.76 seconds handed her the silver medal. The event was dominated by USA’s Myla Greene, who claimed the gold with a time of 13.70 seconds. Brazil’s Lays Rodriques Silva secured the third position in 13.94 seconds.
Royan Walters impressed in the boys’ long jump, securing the silver medal with an outstanding effort of 7.48 meters. USA’s Juriad Hughes claimed the gold with a leap of 7.61 meters, while his teammate Ashton Torns finished third with 7.39 meters. Demario Prince, the other Jamaican participant, settled for fourth place with a jump of 7.38 meters.
USA’s 4x100m female team with Shawnti Jackson crush the field at Pan American U20 Championships
Jamaica’s relay team, comprising Asharria Ulett, Alana Reid, Lavanya Williams, and Tonie-Ann Forbes, took silver in the girls’ 4x100m relay with a time of 45.23 seconds. Alana Reid, the world Under-20 200m bronze medalist, claimed her second medal of the championships after winning gold in the 100m on the first day of competition. The United States dominated the relay, crossing the finish line well ahead of Jamaica in a national record mark of 42.88 seconds.
In the boys’ discus throw, Dunn secured the bronze medal for Jamaica with a best effort of 58.17 meters. Unfortunately, Ricardo Hayles, the other Jamaican participant, did not compete.
USA’s Seth Allen emerged as the undisputed Pan American U20 Championships champion in the boys’ discus throw, clinching the gold medal with an outstanding throw of 60.58 meters. Allen’s exceptional performance set him apart from the competition, as he was the only athlete to achieve a distance of at least 60.00 meters, which he accomplished twice. His opening mark of 60.58 meters proved to be enough for the victory, and he closed the competition with a final throw of 60.53 meters. Allen’s remarkable achievement gave him a comfortable margin of over two meters, outperforming fellow American Brendon See, who secured the second spot with a mark of 58.32 meters.
Jamaica’s other medal on the day came from Dejanea Oakley, who earned a bronze in the girls’ 400m with a time of 52.50 seconds, just ahead of her teammate Tonyan Beckford, who finished fourth in 54.30 seconds. The United States’ Christine Mellard claimed the gold in this event, who completed the race in 51.88 seconds, while her teammate Lauren Lewis secured second place with a time of 52.06 seconds.
Results for Pan American U20 Championships and Alana Reid Secures Victory in Women’s 100m at Pan American U20 Championships
