Jnr Champs 25: Cole, DeGannes among four Pan Am qualifiers, but mixed reviews for T&T track and field

Four rising stars, among them two Carifta Games champions, have booked their spots at the Junior Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in Villavicencio, Colombia this October.

The four won the right to represent this country at the  2025 National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago (NAAATT)–NGC Junior Championships, held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium over the weekend.

Republic Bank is also a significant sponsor for the key track and field event.

Janae DeGannes, the 2024 Carifta Games long jump winner, secured qualification for her pet event and the 100m, while Daeshaun Cole earned his spot in the 200m and 400m competitions.

Da Shaun Lezama is also set to compete in the 400m, while 2025 Carifta decathlon champ, Tyrique Vincent, qualified for the long jump.

Trinidad and Tobago did not participate in the 2023 edition of the Games, with the last athlete to medal at the event being the now-retired javelin thrower Tyriq Horsford.

In the club standings, Tobago’s RSS Phoenix retained their title as champion club with a whopping 513 points. Pace and Performance Factor (PPF) produced their best-ever performance to finish second with 281, with Burnley Athletic Club in third (203).

In total, over 850 athletes from approximately 57 clubs participated in the championships.

RSS Phoenix, which was formed in 2017 in Roxborough, Tobago, completed their fourth straight title in the National Junior Championships, replicating their achievement at the National Juvenile Championships on the previous weekend at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

RSS Phoenix co-founder and head coach Kern Thom said club members were “overwhelmed” by the victory:

“I don’t really get too carried away with the win itself, but what we do is look at the performance itself because it is your times and your distances that you get your scholarships from and not necessarily a club winning a title.”

PPF founder Derrick Simon said their ground-breaking second-place finish was in the works.

“It has been a labour of love over the years, and it was something that was planned and, in the making,” he said.

However, the bigger picture was greeted with less enthusiasm by both coaches, who were concerned by the overall quality of their teams’ performances.

“I think that is where we need to improve in terms of times and distances,” said Thom, who sees support for athletes at the junior level as critical for future success.

“We can’t really wait until they make something big of themselves and then hand them an Elite funding or something like that. We need to pick out these athletes from under-13.”

For Simon, the system is not producing enough quality athletes to achieve faster times, better distances, and heights.

“We really need to elevate the level. For me, the weekend was good, it was decent—but we should be having some real excitement, seeing an under-17 100-meter race where you have three or four athletes pushing each other beyond the boundary,” he said.

“We should have a couple more (Alex) Seepersads, and we should have a couple more of the Chinapoos (Hakeem and Kadeem). We need to churn out more of those…”

General secretary of the NAAATT, Jehue Gordon, said that such views “may be [held by] a select few”, and added that the lack of training facilities over the past 18 months would explain why performances were not up to par.

“The lack of stadia available for proper practice and preparation has been one of our limiting factors, especially within the sister isle of Tobago,” Gordon said, “The Dwight Yorke facility is not available and accessible to all clubs and probably all sports have had to share the use of the Shaw Park facility.”

“Generally, we’ve had exciting performances. Not all the time it’s about breaking records, but it’s about athletes staying healthy and allowing them to have access to the pathway.”

The former 400m hurdles world champion noted: “They were able to compete and successfully compete at that Junior Championships.”

Although some questioned the quality of the final product, there was no doubt that the 2025 Junior Championships surpassed expectations in terms of the sheer number of participants.

Last Friday, after over 850 athletes had entered the competition, the NAAATT was forced to announce an earlier start time on both days to accommodate the increase in the number of competitors.

Competition began an hour earlier at 9:00 am to accommodate a larger number of athletes, a corollary to Trinidad and Tobago’s showing at the 2025 Carifta Games on home soil.

“We’ve had more clubs registered this year, compared to previous years. So, I can only assume that there will be an increase in numbers,” Gordon said. “And because of the visibility, the excitement, and the success we had by hosting this year’s Carifta Games would have played a key part in the turnout of the number of athletes this year.”

The two-day competition would decide 91 national champions in 25 disciplines, with action in three divisions: under-15, under-17, and under-20.

Also, up for grabs were places on the Trinidad and Tobago team for the upcoming 2025 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships.

To qualify, athletes had to meet set standards if they were to compete against the best athletes in the Americas.

The opening day on Saturday saw all four athletes achieve qualification standards for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games.

Cole and Lezama duelled vigorously in the Boys under-20 400m Dash, before the Abilene Wildcats sprinter struck gold in 46.86, ahead of the PPF athlete who got silver in 46.92.

Both athletes dipped under the 47.00-second mark needed to qualify.

Concorde’s Vincent soared past the qualifying mark of 7.30 meters as he claimed gold in the Boys under-20 long jump with a 7.37m leap.

Late in the evening session, clubmate DeGannes took gold in the Girls under-20 100m in 11.59 seconds, just under the 11.60 standard.

On Sunday, DeGannes won gold in the Girls Under-20 long jump with a 6.22 effort, well past the 6.10 qualification mark.

The Concorde athlete, currently ranked 84th in the world, has already jumped 6.72 meters and 6.58 meters in NCAA competition in 2025.

Cole took the 200m title in 20.69 to go under the Pan Am qualification mark of 21.20.

Star sprinter Dylan Woodruffe had an ordinary outing on the weekend, finishing fourth in 10.70 in the under-20 100m final.

Giovanni Bob-Semple (10.54) dominated the field to take the gold medal, ahead of Kaeden Herbert (10.69) and Trevaughn Stewart (10.70).

Woodruffe, silver medallist in the 100m at the 2025 Carifta Games, has already run 10.40 or better three times in 2025.

As expected, athletes who qualified for Trinidad and Tobago’s Carifta Games team dominated the Junior Champs. However, several new faces made their mark on the local track and field scene in the under-15 division.

Zenith Athletics’ Daija Reid was the most outstanding U-15 athlete to emerge, winning titles in the 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump, and the shot put.

Memphis Pioneer’s Eden Chee-Wah, bronze medalist at the 2025 Carifta Games, won gold medals in the 200m, 400m, and the 4x100m relay, while Kerlon Henry of RSS Phoenix copped titles in the 1,200m, 300m hurdles, and the 4x100m relay.

Henry and his sister Gloria are announced on Tuesday among eight athletes competing at the NACAC 2025 Age Group Championships in Nicaragua.

Shania Baynes (U-13 Girls), Jeremiah Hector and Azzirion Williams (U-13 Boys), Reid and Ryanna Regis (U-15 Girls), and Jafari Edwards (15 Boys) are also on the team, which will be managed by Kelsey Toussaint-Reid.

Toussiant-Reid, the mother of Daija Reid, and coaches Arlon Morrison, Chevelle McPherson, and Soren Bishop, are all from Tobago.

Among the under-17s, Mikayla Granderson of Alpha completed the 100-200 double, while also copping gold in the 4x100m relay.

Neon Wolves star Omari Brown also showed his appetite for the big occasion, taking gold medals in the 200m, 110m hurdles, and the long jump.

At the Under 20 level, outside of the performances of DeGannes, Vincent, and Cole, three athletes won double gold medals.

Concorde’s Darius Harding took the 1,500m title and the 5,000m, while Cheyne West of Abilene Wildcats took the hurdles double, winning the 110m and 400m hurdle events.

Tenique Vincent, Tyrique’s twin sister, also doubled with gold medals in the high jump and the 4x100m relay.

At the end of the weekend’s competition, Rising Super Stars Phoenix again stood at the top of the pile, the undisputed winners of the competition.

They have dominated both the juvenile and junior championships over the past four years and show little sign of relaxing their grip on their titles.

Head coach Thom said that he was not confident of a fourth straight title as they were missing six of their athletes, including 2025 Carifta Games athlete Natalia Eastman, who has just won a scholarship to Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

The RSS Phoenix co-founder said that the cancellation of two shot put events, three hammer throw events, and a high jump event on the weekend was also a non-starter.

“We had some challenges with the weather on Sunday,” NAAATT General Secretary Gordon said, “However, all stakeholders met to ensure that the Games were carried out in a safe manner.”

Thom said it is very difficult to field teams at the national championships, which costs his club in the region of TT$75,000.

“We are not one of the clubs that get the wealthier set of athletes. We try our best to make ends meet and get these children to the championship,” he said.

“You can imagine a club trying to find ways and means actually just to get to Trinidad and spend money for accommodation, boat tickets, meals—you have to pay a caterer—and different things.”

Thom and Douglas co-founded the club in 2017 while working as physical education teachers at Roxborough Secondary School.

The club, which initially drew only athletes from the school, now takes in athletes from other areas in Tobago. Thom and Douglas now coach alongside Carlyle Bristol, Oralyn Kamecia Lincoln, Jewelle Williams, and Shayne Taylor.

Roxborough Secondary School became the secondary school track and field champions in 2024 and repeated the trick in 2025.

For PPF founder Derrick Simon, his club’s rise to second place represents a triumph and validation of his “outside-In philosophy.”

“My philosophy is about marginal gains and this is the science I brought into track and field from multi-sport events,” said the former T&T national triathlon head coach, “From those type of endurance events that you are required to be mindful of micro-managing all elements and aspects of you.”

Simon made the move to track and field after a visit to the St Patrick’s Athletics Training Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, after an enlightening chat with centre head coach Ian Kiprono.

He had asked Kiprono what makes Kenyan athletes so much better than other athletes in the world.

“He said it was desire and the hunger to get a better life for themselves and their families,” remembers Simon, “I came from a background of being the head coach of the national triathlon team for four years, and the kids from that discipline were not robust, they were not resilient. They were not hard.”

He did a talent search with his new club, +One A Week Multi-Sport club in the Diego Martin area, and on the first day, unearthed Da Shaun Lezama.

Lezama, who has just received a scholarship to West Texas University, had never competed before he joined the new athletics club.

“He never ran before. He wasn’t a runner. I got him at the age of nine years old, where track athletes start running from six years old,” said Simon.

“For me, the thought of him running 46 (seconds) is a great accomplishment. It also solidifies for me that what I am doing is meaningful and I am on the right path.”

Simon renamed his club Pace and Performance Factory after the 2025 Carifta Games, after fellow coach Richard Jones praised his ability to turn out athletes “like a factory”.

RSS Phoenix head coach Thom is deeply concerned about the future of young athletes like Lezama, Cole, DeGannes, and the Vincent twins.

In the wake of reports of Jamaican Olympic medallists switching allegiance to Turkey, Thom sounded a warning about the possibility of Trinidad and Tobago suffering a similar fate.

“We need to really to step our game up in terms of assisting athletes. I can tell you that track and field athletes, in particular, come from the less fortunate homes,” Thom said.

“So, somebody needs to sit down with the clubs with the presidents of all the clubs to come up with something for these young, talented athletes.”

“… Other countries are going to come knocking for our athletes.”

ATHLETES ACHIEVING QUALIFYING STANDARDS FOR PAN AM U20

100m (qualifying standard 11.60s).

Janae De Gannes (Concorde Athletics) – 11.59s.

200m (qualifying standard 21.20s).

Daeshaun Cole (Abilene Wildcats) – 20.96s.

400m (qualifying standard 47.00s).

Daeshaun Cole (Abilene Wildcats) – 46.86s.

Da Shaun Lezama (PPF) – 46.92s.

Long Jump

Janae DeGannes (Concorde Athletics) – 6.22m (qualifying standard 6.10m).

Tyrique Vincent (Concorde Athletics) – 7.37m (qualifying standard 7.30m).

2025 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS

Sprints

100m

Jael Peters (Burnley) – GU15 – 12.28.

Mikayla Granderson (Alpha) – GU17 – 11.96.

Janae DeGannes (Concorde Athletic) – GU20 – 11.59.

Isaiah Teesdale (Simplex) – BU15 – 11.05.

Jquan Douglas (Zenith Athletics) – BU17 – 10.76.

Giovanni Bobb-Semple (Abilene Wildcats) – BU20 – 10.54.

200m

Eden Chee-Wah (Memphis Pioneers) – GU15 – 24.49.

Mikayla Granderson (Alpha) – GU17 – 24.42.

Noemi Theodore (Phoenix Athletics) – GU20 – 24.28.

Isaiah Teesdale (Simplex) – BU15 – 22.52.

Omari Brown (Neon Wolves) – BU17 – 22.01.

Daeshaun Cole (Abilene Wildcats) – BU20 – 20.96.

400m

Eden Chee-Wah (Memphis Pioneers) – GU15 – 57.38s.

Shian Lewis (PPF) – GU17 – 57.17s.

Kayla Charles (Abilene Wildcats) – GU20 – 56.55s.

Kaden Brathwaite-Adams (Burnley) – BU15 – 51.84s.

Brion Scott (PPF) – BU17 – 48.82s.

Deshan Cole (Abilene Wildcats) – BU20 – 46.86s.

Middle Distances

800m

Gloria Henry (RSS Phoenix) – GU15 – 2:32.04.

Shian Lewis (PPF) – GU17 – 2:24.97.

Kayleigh Forde (PPF) – GU20 – 2:17.73.

Jayvyn Gonzales (Dookie’s Athletics) – BU15 – 2:09.37.

Brion Scott (PPF) – BU17 – 1:54.03.

Keeran Sriskandrajah (Memphis Pioneers) – BU20 – 1:54.90.

1,000m

Leah DeFreitas (PPF) – GU15 – 3:26.22.

1,200m

Kerlon Henry (RSS Phoenix) – BU15 – 3:48.82.

1,500m

Oshea Cummings (Zenith Athletics) – GU17 1500m – 4:56.68.

Aniqua Bailey (PPF) – GU20 1500m – 4:50.92.

Christopher Sammy (PPF) – BU17 1500m – 4:17.15.

Darius Harding (Concorde Athletic) – BU20 1500m – 4.04.88.

3,000m

Oshea Cummings (Zenith Athletics) – Girls Open – 10:35.69.

Christopher Sammy (PPF) – Boys U17 – 9:35.20.

5,000m

Darius Harding (Concorde) – BU20 – 15.49.36.

Hurdles

Daija Reid (Zenith Athletic) – GU15 60m – 9.42s.

Suriah Baird (RSS Phoenix) – GU15 300m – 50.07s.

Kelis Alexander (Neon Wolves) – GU17 100m – 14.53s.

Durlaina Rouse (FAD) – GU17 400m – 1:03.59.

Kaori Robley (Kaizen Panthers) GU20 100m – 14.68s.

Jenna Thomas (IG Fastlane) – GU20 400m – 1:01.44.

Jafari Edwards (Mercury) – BU15 80m – 11.49s.

Kerlon Henry (RSS Phoenix) – BU15 300m – 43.09s.

Omari Brown (Neon Wolves) – BU17 110m – 14.07s.

Isaiah John (Burnley) – BU17 400m – 57.60s.

Cheyne West (Abilene Wildcats) – BU20 110m – 14.17s.

Cheyne West (Abilene Wildcats) – BU20 400m – 54.37s.

Relays

4x100m

Burnley (Shardae Stephenson, Destiny Arnold, Reniece Smith, Jael Peters) – GU15 – 49.67.

Alpha Athletic (Zakiah Phillip, Mikayla Granderson, Azariah Lee, Renee Cooper) – GU17 – 50.21.

Concord (Nathaniela King, Teshawna Pope, Letticia Campbell, Tenique Vincent) – GU20 – 49.40.

Memphis (Eden Chee-Wah, Imani Mills, Sharlene Phillip, Jennesia Allamby) – Girls Open – 3:57.33.

RSS Phoenix (Jeremiah Campbell, Tjorn Toppin, Kerlon Henry, Taijuan Dick) – BU15 – 49.90.

Cougars (Josiah Rogers, Sean Hart, Jonas Guytan, Tariq Alexis-Meade) – BU17 – 42.71.

Burnley (Samuel Stewart, Trevaughn Stewart, Kyle Williams, Isaiah Mahabir) – BU20 – 41.23.

Discus

Akeya Gonzales (D’Abadie) – GU15 – 25.92m.

Karissa Williams (Burnley) – GU17 – 27.30m.

Adrianna Quamina (D’Abadie) – GU20 – 43.06m.

Kellon Potts (RSS Phoenix) – BU15 – 43.10m.

D’Andre Wallace (Zenith Athletic) – BU17 – 42.37m.

Lebron James (Mercury) – BU20 – 43.92m.

Hammer Throw

Kayla Fitzpatrick (Memphis Pioneers) – GU17 – 28.85m.

High Jump

Daija Reid (Zenith Athletic) – GU15 – 1.52m.

LaQueen Welch (QRC Athletics) – GU17 – 1.60m.

Tenique Vincent (Concorde Athletics) – GU20 – 1.60m.

Jafari Edwards (Mercury) – BU15 – 1.63m.

Sebastian McKenna (Kaizen Panthers) – BU17 – 1.65m.

Kaleb Campbell (Kaizen Panthers) – BU20 – 1.90m.

Javelin

Akeya Gonzales (D’Abadie) – Girls U15 – 24.93m.

Jeniece Alleyne (Lions Athletic) – GU17 – 25.57m.

Abian Halls (Ascend Athletics) – Girls U20 – 29.50.

Tannon Niemeyer (Ascend Athletics) – BU17 – 46.91m.

Aaron Aparicio (Zenith Athletic) – BU20 – 57.43m.

Long Jump

Daija Reid (Zenith Athletic) – GU15 – 5.23m.

Reyann Graham (QRC Athletics) – GU17 – 5.40m.

Janae DeGannes (Concorde Athletics) – GU20 – 6.22m.

Jafari Edwards (Mercury) – BU15 – 5.72m.

Omari Brown (Neon Wolves) – Boys U17 – 6.50m.

Tyrique Vincent (Concorde) – BU20 – 7.37m.

Pole Vault

Joshua Andrews (QRC Athletics) – BU17 – 2.40m.

Tyrique Vincent (Concorde Athletics) – BU20 – 3.00m.

Shot Put

Daija Reid (Zenith Athletic) – GU15 – 10.10m.

Jania Thomas (Ascend Athletics) – GU17 – 11.91m.

Peyton Winter (Burnley) – GU20 – 12.73m.

Kellon Potts (RSS Phoenix) – BU15 – 45.83m.

Jelany Chinyelu (Burnley) – Boys U20 – 14.35m.

Triple Jump

Keniesha Shelbourne (Oasis Athletic) – Girls Open – 12.30m.

Jhariel Williams (RSS Phoenix) – BU17 – 13.29.

Kristiano Perez (QRC Athletics) – BU20 – 14.30.

TOP TEN CLUBS

1. RSS Phoenix – 513.
2. Pace and Performance Factor – 281.
3. Burnley Athletic Club – 203.
4. Memphis Pioneers – 189.
5. Zenith Athletic Club – 179.
6. Concorde Athletics – 176.
7. Mercury Athletic Club – 160.
8. QRC – Athletics Club – 133.
9. Cougars Track and Field – 129.
10. Simplez Athletic Club – 118.