Sport

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Maurice Smith capped an impressive two days when he won the men's decathlon at the XXI Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, yesterday.

At press time last night, Jamaica were in sixth spot with an overall total of 41 medals - 14 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze medals. They also won gold in the women's 4x400 metres and silver in the women's long jump. Mexico head the standings with 372 medals - 130 gold, 127 silver and 115 bronze.

Smith, the 2007 World Championship silver medallist, and 2007 Pan Am Games gold medallist, won the decathlon with 8,109 points ahead of the Puerto Rican pair of Steven Marrero and Marcos Sanchez, who tallied 7,506 and 7,311, respectively.

The 29 year-old Smith, who also won CAC gold in 2003, and has a Commonwealth Games silver medal to boot, recorded statistics of: 100m - 10.82; long jump - 7.32m; shot put - 15.76m; high jump - 1.94m; 400m - 49.20; 110m hurdles 14.64; discus - 48.18m; pole vault - 4.60m; javelin - 58.88 and 1500m - 4:46.14.

Season's best

The women's 4x400m relay team of Davita Prendergast, Nikita Tracey, Dominique Blake and Clora Williams clocked a season's best 3:32.31 to dismiss the challenge of Colombia, who ran a personal best of 3:33.03, and Mexico, who did 3:33.33.

In the long jump, Jovanee Jarrett had a best leap of 6.52m for silver behind Trinidad and Tobago's Rhoda Watkins, who set a new Games record with 6.67m. Bronze went to Bianca Stuart of The Bahamas, 6.50m.

In other results, Jamaica finished fifth in men's basketball after defeating Panama 83-64 in a play-off. The women's basketball team, who were also scheduled to play off for fifth and sixth place, were yet to take the court at press time.