Veteran Donawa to lead local foursome at championships
Bermuda have named a formidable looking foursome to compete at next month’s senior men’s NACAC Cross-Country Championships in Trinidad.Veteran runner Jay Donawa, Chayce Smith, Darico Clarke and youngster Sean Trott have been selected by the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) to represent the Island at the annual event. Also travelling to Trinidad will be Trey Simons, Juma Mouchette, Dage Minors and Shawn Herman who make up Bermuda’s junior team.All senior four runners performed well in last week’s Bermuda Marathon Weekend with national cross-country champion Donawa finishing fourth in the half-marathon and Trott coming one place behind in fifth. Trott also came fifth in the 10k race.Among those nations competing at the Championships are Mexico, USA, Canada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and hosts Trinidad. The Championships will be held at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain on Saturday, February 19.Donna Watson, president of the BTFA, said: “The senior men will run 8k and the junior men will run 6k.“I’m very excited about this team as these are not only our top cross -country athletes this season but they all produced some great results over the Bermuda Marathon Weekend in their respective events.”– The BTFA will hold a two-day track meet this weekend at the National Sports Centre where local athletes wil try to reach the Carifta Games qualifying standards.Their hard work could be in vain however with the Carifta Games in serious jeopardy of suffering an historic cancellation.Several potential hosts have turned down the chance to stage the region’s marquee junior track and field meet, which is usually held over the Easter weekend.It would be the first time in its 40-year history that the Games would be called off.The Bahamas had emerged as a possible contender to stage the event, but track and field officials in Nassau said there was not sufficient time for preparations to be made.Trinidad were also identified as an alternative, but Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA), has also ruled that out.Bermuda will host next year’s Carifta Games. The Island last hosted the event in 2004 which saw current world record holder Usain Bolt, of Jamaica, become the first junior athlete to break 20 seconds in the 200m in a time of 19.93.Last year’s Games were held in the Cayman Islands where Bermuda’s team finished fifth out of 25 nations, winning eleven medals.
