Assessment Meet Produces This Year's First St Lucia National Record

St Lucia has its first new National Record for the calendar year 2012, and after three weeks of indoor competition in the United States and Europe, it's an outdoor record, in the first local meet of the season.

The assessment meet at the George Odlum Stadium was intended to test out the newly installed electronic timing system, and to give coaches and selectors a first look at some of the young athletes in contention for places on the St Lucia team to CARIFTA 2012, less than three months hence in Bermuda. Instead, it was a field events athlete and a former CARIFTA champion turning in the most significant performance.

In July 2010, finishing fourth at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Albert Reynolds threw the men's javelin 69.52m to extend his personal-best and National Record mark in that event. An Olympic Solidarity Scholarship athlete, Albert enjoyed a relatively barren 2011. But he's kicked off 2012 with the best throw of his life.

After an initial effort of 64.50 off five steps, the 24-year-old from Babonneau tossed the spear 69.41m, then with his third throw became the first St Lucian to cross the 70m barrier. Albert's 70.26m performance is still well shy of the 79.50 he needs to qualify for the Olympics, but it's a significant landmark for him and for the progress of the event in St Lucia.

Two other important marks were set in men's Javelin Throw. Last year, Denzil St. Marthe took a silver medal in the under-17 version of that event at the LIME CARIFTA Games in Jamaica. Still eligible for that division, aged 16, he started off this season with a throw of 48.51 with the men's implement, but his performance was eclipsed by a 51.59m hurl from 14-year-old Canis Richardson of Choiseul. Richardson had a consistent series, with two throws over 51m and two over 49. The CARIFTA standard with the boys' javelin, which is lighter, is 57m.

On the track, with just timed finals being run in most events, several athletes gave glimpses of their CARIFTA potential. 2011 CARIFTA medallist Marbeq Edgar doubled up in the 800m and 1500m. A student at Piaye Secondary, the 17-year-old will be moving up to the under-20 division this year. He came in at 1:57.98 in the 800 (CARIFTA standard 1:54) and 4:12.56 in the 1500 (4:06.14).

In the women's 100m, little Gabrielle Tobierre had a star turn, stopping the clock at 12.52 seconds. At 14, she was one of the youngest competitors on display. Her time was surpassed only by 17-year-old Verlyn Taylor, who ran 12.38 seconds. Both times, though, came with heavy winds, 3.6 and 4.4 metres per second, respectively. The under-17 and under-20 standards are 12.03 and 12.01 seconds.

In the open men's 400m, 18-year-old Talbert Poleon ran 48.99, well within sight of the 48-second standard. Running virtually by herself, 15-year-old Natasha Poleon crossed the line in the women's 400 in 59.94 seconds, over one and a half seconds ahead of anyone in her age group. The CARIFTA under-17 mark is 57 seconds. In the open division, 20-year-old Peterlyn Edward ran 58.70 seconds.