Henry obliterated his own BVI Shot Put mark of 18.25m (59'10½") hitting the vaunted 20.00m (65'7½") plateau for the first time in his career on his final attempt in a series the began with an 18.34 effort followed by long fouls. Photo: Provided

Henry obliterated his own VI Shot Put mark of 18.25m (59’10½”) hitting the vaunted 20.00m (65’7½”) plateau for the first time in his career on his final attempt in a series that began with an 18.34 effort followed by long fouls.

In the process, Henry became the first Central Arizona College athlete in its history to crack the 20m barrier with the16lbs cannon ball, taking down Chima Ugwu—a Nigerian two times Olympian—10 year old outdoor mark of 18.96m (62’2½”). His throw also shattered the 41-year old National Jr. College Indoor mark of 18.82m (61’8¾”) by Mesa College’s Mark Semkiw, a measurement that stood since 1974.

“It was ok. But, I was expecting more,” Henry a 6’5” and 350 pounds specimen stated in an email. “All I did was do what I was doing in practice and kept in the ring without fouling.”
Henry then expended his personal best in the Weight Throw from 16.38m to 16.84.

At the same meet, teammate Trevia Gumbs won the Shot Put with a throw of 13.74m with twin sister Tynelle following with a career best mark of 12.98m. She won the 20lb Weight Throw with a 16.90m toss.

In Europe, Tahesia Harrigan-Scott ended her second tour on Saturday at the Sainsbury Indoor Grand Prix in Manchester, England by finishing one spot out of a 60m finals berth with a time of 7.31 seconds. She was coming off running 7.29 to win her heat at the AIT Invitational in Ireland on Thursday, where the clock malfunctioned in the final after placing second.

Chantel E. Malone kicked off her European tour with a leap of 6.39m to place seventh at the ISTAF Berlin Germany. She finished third in her 200m heat at the Stockholm XL Galan in Sweden with a time of 24.49 seconds and then placed seventh in the Long Jump after cutting the sand at 6.19m.

On her next stop at the AIT Invitational in Ireland, she was third in the Long Jump with a 6.35m mark. She completed her tour at the Sainsbury Indoor Grand Prix with a sixth placed finish following a best effort of 6.08m

Competing in 30+ degrees at the Carl Friedland Memorial Invitational in Orlando, Fla., Montverde teammates Tahj Malone and Jude Kinkead opened their respective season with marks of 6’0” in the High Jump and 12:23.50 in the 3200m.

Locally, Heptathlete Aranna Hayde continued her improvement over the last year. Already with a throw of 34.05m with the senior 600g spear used in her discipline in her last outing, she dropped down to her age specific weight, then hurled the 500g spear out to 39.59m. It is the #2 mark for U18 female athletes behind Tynelle Gumbs’ national standard of 41.46 from 2012, among highlights of Friday’s BVI Athletics Association Development Series meet.

Ronique Todman became just the third school boy to break the 50.00 seconds barrier in the 400m on home soil while still enrolled in school, when he stopped the clock for a personal best of 49.45 seconds, finishing ahead of his Fast Lane Track Club teammate Kyron McMaster’s 49.65. McMaster, who won the 100m in 11.03, with Todman finishing second in 11.18, ran 48.75 in his season opener.

Judine Lacey ran 58.84 seconds for her second U18 Girls 400m victory and was followed by Sha’Kida Lavacia who celebrated her birthday by cracking the 60 seconds barrier for the first time in 59.65 to edge Shaniyah Caul’s 59.70 effort.

Competition resumes on March 6 ahead of the Premier Dental National Jr. Championships.