By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
Jah’Kyla Morton
It has been a tough year for High Jumper Jah’Kyla Morton, a two times Carifta Games medalist and national record holder. She overcame a series of obstacles—including club and coaching changes—to equal her 2-year-old national record and became the 14th automatic qualifier for the 52nd Caifta Games in Trinidad and Tobago, April 19-21, during the seventh Dag Samuels Development Series meet on Saturday at the A. O. Shirley Grounds.
“I twisted my ankle at the beginning of the season in December, we had complications with the (high jump) bed, which meant that I couldn’t jump, so it has been a battle,” Morton said. “I was worried, but I knew I would have still gone to Carifta, I just needed to qualify to secure my spot.”
Morton began by clearing the bar at 1.55m (5’1”) on Friday afternoon, then rains came and wiped out the competition, moving it to Saturday. On her second attempt, Morton, a 2022 Carifta Games U17 Girls bronze medalist and 2023 silver medalist who was tied for 5th in the U20 Girls event last year, cleared 1.74m (5’8½) to equal the mark she set in San Jose, Costa Rica on July 23, 2023. She was unable to clear her attempts at 1.76 (5’9¼”) and improve her national mark.
“I was surprised,” she told Island Sun Sports. “I haven’t cleared 1.70 since 2023. My coach, (Winston Potter) really helped a lot and the drills he had me doing with my technique. I’ve adjusted my run up, my technique which includes the layout and driving towards the bar. I’ve adjusted my lean going towards the bar during my run up.”
Morton said she’s satisfied that she’s now properly arching over the bar. “I’ve come a long way,” she noted. “I’ve been trying to get this technique done for years and now that I see it’s holding up at the higher heights, I feel accomplished.”
However, she said that she still has “lots of work to do” but I’m taking it one step at a time. “I am now better mentally prepared, now that I have jumped 1.74 and haven’t gone to Carifta as yet. I would like to see if I can go higher and also medal,” she said. “I’ve trusted the process, told myself not to rush anything, what is for me is for me and will come when it needs to come.”
Meanwhile, Christal Daly, who earlier qualified in the U20 Girls 200m, added her pet event, when she cut the sand at 5.67m (18’7”) in the Long Jump, to break the SET Spring Track Series record of 5.47m (17’11½”) in Lawrenceville, Georgia on Saturday. She was coming off a second placed finish in the Clayton County Championships 100m in 12.18 seconds, just off her 12.16 season’s best, last Tuesday. Along with U17 Girl M’Kenzii Crabbe, Daly is the second girl on the team to have qualified in two events. She has the best marks in all three events in her division.
Others who have recently qualified in the multi-events include: A’Sia McMaster, U20 Girls Heptathlon, 3475 points. Andre Allen, U17 Boys Octathlon, 3651 points and Paul Hewlett Jr., U20 Boys Decathlon, 4853 points. His score is based on nine events as there’s no pole vault equipment in the BVI. However, Hewlett Jr. cleared 2.60m (8’6¼”) last year.
