Williams Takes Another Star Turn At Carifta Games

By Todd Grasley for DyeStat

For the second consecutive year, Briana Williams came into the Carifta Games and stole the show.

Williams, 17, matched her three gold medals from 2018 and finished the meet with wins in the 100-meter dash, the 200 and 4x100 relay.

She ran a wind-legal 11.25 seconds in the 100 to establish a new national-leading time, and it ranks tied for 14th regardless of age in the world. It is the third-fastest U-20 time in 2019 and a world leader for girls under 18. 

Not to be outdone, Williams ran her second-fastest 200 with a wind-legal time of 22.89.

The mark, behind only her 22.50 to win the IAAF World U-20 Championships, ranks fifth globally regardless of age, and the fastest in the world for U-18 and U-20 girls. Coach Ato Boldon, an Olympic medalist for Trinidad and Tobago, was pleased with the way the youngster performed in Grand Cayman. 

“It was a good week of work,” he explained. “As a coach, when the results come, it validates the work. She’s lifted almost no weights this year since October, and yet she’s ahead of last year’s pace. To end the weekend with the fifth-fastest 200 meters in the world is a good sign.”

Williams and her Jamaican teammates clocked 44.25 in the 4x100 relay.

The three gold medals and her lightning-fast performances earned Williams the coveted Austin Sealy Award given to the meet MVP for the second straight year.

She joins five other athletes who have won the award twice in the 48-year history of the Carifta Games -- Kareem Streete-Thompson, Anthonique Strachan, Darrel Brown, Laverne Eve, and the only other Jamaican, Usain St. Leo Bolt.

“I was very surprised as they called my name for the Austin Sealy award, because there were so many other amazingly talented athletes that poured their heart out in these games, but I am very proud of myself for winning all my events again and it’s an honor to be the first Jamaican girl to win the Austin Sealy award in back to back years,” Williams said.

Boldon noted that everything Williams is doing this season is pointed toward the Jamaican National Championships, June 20-23. 

“It’s a good sign to see her in just the third and second finals of her season 200/100 to already be looking like July 2018 Briana,” he said. “Her form is as good as it’s ever been, and her body looks like summer, not April. Last year she was a little banged up by the end of Carifta. This year she is completely injury-free and if that continues, then she will continue to improve.” 

Boldon went on to say the key to her success is that she is both flexible and under-raced this season.

Williams will compete for Northeast High in South Florida at the FHSAA state championship next month, where she will only compete in the relays. Then, she will possibly take a trip June 7-8 to the Great Southwest Classic in New Mexico for the 100/200 double.