Nine track and field athletes have been selected to compete for the Cayman Islands at the 2026 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association’s Under-18 and Under-23 Championships.
Scheduled to take place in Mexico from 10-12 July, the event will bring together athletes from 31 member nations, including Canada, Cuba, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico and the United States.
Included in the under-18 girls’ selection are Gabriella Linton, who will test her power in both the shot put and discus events, and long jumper Delora Johnson.
They are joined by sprinters DaQuana Howell and Madison Lyn, both of whom are set to compete in the 100-metre dash while also teaming up for the 4×100-metre mixed relay. Howell will also take on the 200-metre sprint.
On the boys’ side, the under-18 roster features Talan Blake, who will line up for the 100-metre sprint, and Jah’Mauri Watkis, who is set to tackle the 400-metre hurdles. Both young men will also pull double duty as members of the 4×100-metre mixed relay.
Meanwhile, the under-23 division comprises a trio of sprinters. Jaiden Reid is scheduled to take on the 100-metre and 200-metre races, while Davontè Howell will focus his speed entirely on the 100-metre.
Completing the under-23 boys roster is Amari Myrie, who will run in the 200-metre sprint.
National pride and personal goals
For the selected athletes, the opportunity to wear Cayman’s national colours in Mexico carries a sense of pride and motivation.
“I feel very honoured to be chosen to run for my country for a championship. I’m really grateful for this opportunity and it’ll push me even more knowing I’m not only carrying myself but my country and my team,” said Myrie.
“My biggest goal for these upcoming championships is to execute and finish strong for my final meet of the season. I trust my training and just want to put together a clean, composed race,” he added.
That shared enthusiasm is equally felt by Lyn who echoed the sentiment of pride regarding her selection, stating that it’s “an honour to be chosen and I’m excited to run [my races]”.
“I hope to medal and run to a personal best time. Also, apart from running my individual event, I’m looking forward to running the mixed relay with my team and meeting other athletes from the various countries participating,” Lyn said.
The team will travel to Mexico under the guidance of coach Kenrick Williams with departure set for Wednesday, 8 July.
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