by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Fri. Feb. 2, 2024
The University of Belize (UB) excelled in the annual Track and Field competition hosted by the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) at the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City on Saturday, January 27—securing 21 medals in the process: 9 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze.
In this year’s competition, ten tertiary level schools showed up at the Marion Jones Sports Complex representing the north — San Pedro Junior College, Muffles Junior College, and Corozal Junior College; while the west was represented by the University of Belize (UB), Saint John Paul Junior College, Sacred Heart Junior College, and Galen University; the south by Independence Junior College (IJC) and Ecumenical Junior College; and the east by Saint John’s College Junior College (SJCJC).
Mario Vivas of UB secured gold in the 1500m with a time of 4:48:42; behind him was his schoolmate, Christopher Broaster taking silver in 4:49:30; and IJC’s Lyndon Gillett, who ran 5:26.23 for the bronze.
In the Javelin event, Vivas secured gold again, throwing 36.63 meters; while IJC’s Daniel Godoy took the silver at 35.85m; and SJCJC’s Gabriel Sanchez threw 34.70m for the bronze.
In the discus throw, UB once again topped the competition, with Ernesto Lopez throwing the discus 24.67 meters for the gold. Meanwhile, SJCJC’s Jamie Mangar took the silver at 24.66m; and Galen’s Kerwin Palacio claimed the bronze at 22.90m.
Once more in the 400 meters, UB’s Keemar Wagner ran 52.03 seconds for gold, with Muffles’s Aiken Aguilar placing second (silver) in 1:01:69, and Keith Jones of Galen receiving the bronze prize by completing the race in 1:04:73.
Wagner earned himself another gold medal in the 800 meters at 2:10.00, with UB’s Broaster taking silver at 2:15.05, and Jardin Espat of John Paul II Junior College claiming the bronze at 2:33.46.
UB’s Donovan Grinage won gold in the 200 meters in 23.66 seconds, UB’s Dominic Morgan took the silver in 25.22s, and SHJC’s Korey Gomez ran 25.35s for the bronze.
Donovan also won gold in the 100 meters in 11.54 seconds, while EJC’s Keenan Castillo took the silver in 11.59s, and UB’s Gilbert Vaughan claimed the bronze in 12.00s.
Donovan won his 3rd gold when he anchored the UB men’s team to win the 4×100 meters relay, Keith Jones anchored the Galen Eagles team to win silver, and the IJC men claimed the bronze.
UB’s Wilbert Sho kicked off a sprint in the last 200 meters of the 5 K to win gold in 20:33.54, leaving SJCJC’s Patrick Williams to take silver in 20:46.00, and UB’s Jonathan Chiquin claimed the bronze.
SJCJC tallied right behind UB in medals as they snagged 19 medals; 9 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze, with Kendall Morgan leading the charge, securing 7 gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 4x100m sprints, shot put, javelin and high jump.
In the shot-put event, she threw 8.87 meters for gold, beating IJC’s Emiliana Aguilar, who threw 6.30m for the silver, and Galen’s Christene Gillett, who took the bronze at 5.34m.
Morgan earned herself another gold for the 400 meters in 1:04.72, while SJCJC’s Jada Logan took the silver in 1:10.05, and UB’s Jahniah Arnold ran 1:10.81 for the bronze.
Her third gold came in the 100m in 12.99 seconds, while Shamika Lambey of Ecumenical Junior College took the silver in 13.28s, and SJCJC’s Jada Logan ran 14.27s for the bronze.
She continued to rack up gold, as she ran 26.80 seconds in the 200 meters; the high jump, clearing the bar at 1.53m; and in javelin, throwing 29.96 meters to win those events. She anchored and won her final gold medal of the entire event in the 4×100-meter relay along with teammates Thayesse, Alvarez who ran the first leg, Jada Logan who ran the second leg, and Shevana Galvez running the third leg.
Notable mention for the other competitors: EJC’s Shamika Lambey won gold in the 800 meters in 3:13.08, while IJC’s Stacy Requeña took the silver in 3:29.25, and UB’s Esmeralda Ramirez ran 3:37.94 for the bronze.
Carmen Campos of Independence Junior College threw the discus at 18.58 meters to win gold, UB’s Esmeralda Ramirez threw 16.50m for the silver, and IJC’s Emiliana Aguilar claimed the bronze at 16.00m.
SJCJC’s Jada Logan leaped 4.71 meters to gold in the long jump, SJCJC’s Thayesse Alvarez jumped 4.57m for silver, and Galen’s Christene Gillett claimed the bronze at 3.46m. Also, SJCJC’s Thayese Alvarez hopped, skipped, and jumped 9.89 meters to win gold in the triple jump; Galen’s Christene Gillett jumped 6.58m for the silver; and UB’s Reyna Choj cleared 6.33m for the bronze.
Yahir Sandoval of San Pedro Junior College hurled the shot put at 9.60 meters for the gold, IJC’s Esvi Castillo 9.38m for the silver, and IJC’s Daniel Godoy took the bronze at 8.90m.
Kevin Jones of Corozal Junior College leaped 5.99 meters for the gold in the long jump, UB’s Donovan Grinage jumped 5.74m for the silver, and Galen’s Kerwin Palacio claimed the bronze at 5.70m. Kevin won a 2nd gold in the triple jump at 12.49 meters, while Galen’s Kerwin Palacio took silver at 12.44m, and Donovan Grinage cleared 11.89m for the bronze.
Galen’s Kerwin Palacio cleared the bar at 1.80 meters to win gold in the high jump, while UB’s Isaiah Pascual flopped over the bar at 1.70m for the silver, and SJCJC’s Jamie Mangar jumped 1.62m for the bronze.