CARIBBEAN UNION OF TEACHERS 10TH BIENNIAL STUDENTS’ TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
 Jamaica hosted for the first time the C.U.T. Biennial Students Track and field Championships Meet at the National Stadium on July 16 and 17, 2004.
Two hundred forty eight athletes and officials were housed at the games village at the Errol Miller Hostel on Arnold Road between July 12 and 21, 2004. Two hundred athletes representing Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and five athletes from Grand Cayman participated in the two day meet.
The championships have helped to produce some of the region‘s most outstanding track and field athletes. Many participants have moved on to the Caribbean Athletic Confederation Age Group Championships, the CAC Juniors, the CAC Seniors Championships, the CAC Games, the CARIFTA Games, the Pan American Games and the Olympics. Well-known veterans of the Students’ Track and Field Championships include Odadele Thompson of Barbados, Najuma Fletcher of Guyana, Ayanna Hutchinson, Darrel Brown and Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Sancho Lyttle from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Barbados hosted the inaugural Meet in 1986, with nine countries vying for the Jean Perisco Trophy: Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The host country was victorious, and the event was so successful that the CUT decided to stage it every two years. Over the next decade, other Caribbean countries have participated in the Meet, including Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Kitts /Nevia and Trinidad and Tobago.
 Jamaica entered the championships for the first time in Martinique in 2000 and was placed third behind Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. In 2002, the Jamaican team was placed second behind defending champion and host Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica dominated both days of competition and at the end of the games totalled 512 points to win the competition with Barbados second with 411 points and Trinidad & Tobago the defending champion, placing third with 402.5 points.
Jamaica who was entering the competition for the third time, bettered their medal tally in Trinidad and Tobago in 2002 with forty six medals, 31 gold 11 silver and 4 bronze.
Kevaun Rattray, Adam Senior and Tarik Batchelor emerged Champions in the under 9, under 11 and under 15 age group respectively.
In addition to be under 11 Champion Boy, Adam Senior was overall Champion Boy of the meet.
|
