Last week, we took you to the airport for the arrival of CARIFTA games gold medalist Demetri Meyers. The 14-year-old remained in the country over the weekend to run the 1500 meter at Belize's annual National track meet. But he wasn't the only champion there, also present was Olympian Brandon Jones who this weekend won the 100m finals.
Our camera was there on Saturday and tonight we're showing you the best of the young athletes in action on the track.
Dion Sutherland, Belize Athletic Association
"Well you know it's the national track competition hosted by the Belize Athletic Association, um, this is a competition that we must have every year, it's a national meet whereby all the senior athletes, it has to be senior athletes, converge and to see who is the best in the country."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So, who were the winners and who stood out overall?"
Dion Sutherland, Belize Athletic Association
"Well, you know we had our Olympian Brandon Jones was here with us, he represented us in the Olympics in 2016 and of course, we had the CARIFTA champion, the two medals Demetri Myers also was here with us at the nationals, and then we have our local standouts, Mark Anderson, we had Hilary Gladden, those were standouts in our speed events, the track events, no and we had like in the triple jump and the long jump we had our Ashanti and Ashanti Carr, those Carrs as well stood out and then we had our long and upcoming Glenford Williams who also represented us last year in Central America and won two gold medals, and so those are some of the athletes that have moved up the ladder and continue to make us proud."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Talk about the organization of this meet this year, what you are like to see, what was good and what you would like to see done even better next year."
Dion Sutherland, Belize Athletic Association
"Well, what was good about it is that people came out and supported and that is always a plus, we always have to improve every year, um, there is a need for improvement and I believe one way of improving. Is for us to gather more clubs and schools involved. Now, this usually happens, this event usually happens after the secondary school championship right because then after the secondary school championship is when you get a lot more athletes because they are already prepped and ready. This year we had to do it before the secondary school competitor because of how easter fell and also because the Central American senior championship is within two weeks so we would not have been able to make a proper selection if we had it after."
As you heard the Central American senior championships take place in 2 weeks both Meyers and Jones are expected to be among the competitors.
