Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer

Isa Phillips

Isa Phillips captured gold in the 400 metres hurdles at the Senior Central American and Caribbean Championships at the weekend in Cali, Colombia.

Phillips, who represented Jamaica at the World Cham-pionships in Osaka last year, had an easy victory in 49.98 seconds as Cuba's Yasmiana Capello (50.08) and Colombia's Yeisan Rivas (50.44) ended second and third.

Jamaica also won bronze in the women's javelin as Kateema Riettie finished third with a throw of 54.90 metres. Lavern Eve, of The Bahamas, captured the gold with a winning throw of 56.36m.

There were fourth-place finishes for Zara Northover, Aleen Bailey and Hickel Woolery in their respective events.

Northover threw 16.34m in the shot put as Trinidad and Tobago's Cleopatra Borel-Brown won the event with 18.39m.

Bailey, who was recently named in Jamaica's relay squad for the Beijing Olympic Games, clocked 11.43 seconds. Bahamaian Chandra Sturrup regained her title by winning the event in 11.20, with the silver going to Grenada's Sherry Fletcher in 11.39.

Woolery had a throw of 55.60m in the men's discus as Cuba finished one-two, with Jorge Fernandez (58.60m) taking the gold ahead of teammate Yunio Lastre with 58.00m.

Jamaica's Lerone Clarke could only manage seventh in the 100m in 10.45. Trinidad's Darrel Brown rebounded from his mishap at his country's national championships, where he fell, to take the gold medal here in 10.12, with Antigua's Donald Bailey taking silver in 10.18.

Following her disappointment at the National Championship, it was the same story for Sonita Sutherland, as she was seventh in the 400m in 52.79 as Cuba's Indira Terrero copped the gold medal in 50.98.

Cuba's Anay Tejado scored an impressive record win in the 100m hurdles in 12.61. The 2002 World Junior champion erased Jamaica's Delloreen Ennis-London's old mark of 12.70 at the last meet.