Gonzales registers easy win

Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter

JERMAINE GONZALES warmed up for his first overseas individual event of the season with an easy win in the men's 400m at the second Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) Development Meet at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay on Saturday.

Gonzales won the fastest of the five heats in the 400m in 47.47 seconds, edging his High Performance Track Club (HPTC) teammate Michael Gardener (47.88), while Paul Bogle of Jamalco was third in 48.28 seconds.

Gonzales, the 2002 IAAF World Junior Championships 400m bronze medallist, told The Gleaner afterwards that he used the meet as a 'training run' and said the conditions were not ideal for running as he had to battle strong winds.

The former Tacius Golding High runner, who has not raced since he helped the Jamaica mile relay team win the event at the Penn Relays in late April, said his lay-off was due to illness.

"When I got back from the Penn Relays I was sick. I had the flu and was in bed for five days and that put back my training a bit," he said.

He was back in full training he added and will be taking part in a meet in Mexico next weekend, as he continues to prepare for the National Trials at the end of the month.

Janice Daley of It Dat Track Club won the women's 200m in 24.39 seconds, beating 16-year-old Mount Alvernia High student Alecia Cutenar (25.37) and Mellisa Wallace of It Dat (25.73).

Hanukkah Wallace of Jamalco took the men's 200m in a smart 21.53 seconds ahead of Kenroy Halstead of Montego Bay, who finished in 21.55 seconds, with former Herbert Morrison runner Rayon Golding third in 21.88 seconds.

Halstead also won the long jump with 6.49m while Yushanny Durrant of Mt Alvernia won the girls long jump with 4.81m.