Sport

Ja juniors in Pan Am action

Arusha Mckenzie - file

WORLD YOUTH SILVER medallists Natasha Ruddock and Latoya Greaves, along with Schillonie Calvert and Alain Bailey, will lead Jamaica's charge for medal on tomorrow's opening day of the 2005 Pan American Junior Championships in Windsor, Canada.

Sprint hurdlers Ruddock and Greaves are the first two Jamaicans down to run. They will contest the first round (semi-finals) of the girls' 100m hurdles ahead of the afternoon's final.

Greaves, with her 13.60 season best, will start favourite whereas Ruddock (14.05) is ranked seventh.

The two Jamaicans will face the United States duo of Kira Robinson (13.71) and Talia Stewart (13.89), along with Canadian Genevieve Thibault (13.71).

Markino Buckley (14.22) and Sheldon Wilkinson (14.47) will be also looking towards the boys' 110m hurdles final but will have to get past a semi-final round that includes favourite Dayron Robles Planes of Cuba (13.47), Brazilian Eder Antonio De Souza (13.79) and American Dominic Berger (13.87).

Calvert, a bronze medallist at the World Youth championships, and Rose-Marie White are down for the girls' 100m semi-finals. Calvert (11.40), fourth ranked, and 14th ranked White (11.89) will be trying to get into the afternoon's final despite the challenge of Trinidad & Tobago's Carifta Games champion Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.17), American Cleo Tyson (11.25) and Brazilian Franciela Das Grac Krasucki (11.38).

In the boys' 100m event, Rascive Grant (10.69) and Jesse Saunders (10.76) will start the quarter-final with the United States' James Samuels (10.33), Brazilian Rafael Ribeiro Da Silva (10.35) and Canadian Justyn Warner (10.38).

Alain Bailey and Jermaine Jackson will line-up in the boys' long jump final. Bailey (7.88m) is the favourite for this event.

The top eight in the girls' 400m should also be decided tomorrow with Jamaica's Sonita Sutherland, a bronze medallist at the last Championships in Barbados.

Although Sutherland (52.10) is third on the list, another keen battle is expected with the United States' Natasha Hastings (51.34). Hastings defeated (52.04, personal best) defeated Sutherland (52.41) at last year's World Junior Championships. Jamaica's Anastasia Le-Roy will have to improve on her personal best 52.92.

The boys' duo of Jason Edwards (45.56) and Leford Green (46.48) are third and seventh respectively and should easily advance to Saturday's final.

Arusha McKenzie, Jodi-Ann Richards, Theon O'Connor and Stafford McFarlane will be in the 800m girls' and boys' semi-finals respectively.

Natoya Goule will also contest the 3000m final for girls and Andre Drummond the 5000m final for boys.

Camoi Hood and Hickel Woolery are also down for early action in the boys' shot put.