Devin Augustine and Rae-Anne Serville made light work of their rivals on the opening day of the Carifta trials at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, yesterday.

Augustine, in his debut season in the boys’ under-20 category, bolted to victory in the 100 metres final in a personal best 10.47 seconds , six-hundredths of a second faster than the Carifta qualifying standard. The Point Fortin New Jets sprinter was more than two-tenths of a second faster than second-placed Dominic Cole (10.69). Augustine is the 2019 Carifta games boys’ under-17 100m champion.

Serville stopped the clock at 54.55 seconds to win the girls’ under-20 400m final, finishing well ahead of Camile Lewis, the runner-up in 55.91. Serville’s clocking was 12-hundredths of a second faster than the 54.67 Carifta standard. The Memphis Pioneers quartermiler recently accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Southern California (USC).

Shaniqua Bascombe, the 2019 Carifta Games girls’ under-17 200m gold medallist, topped the under-20 100m final yesterday. The Cougars sprinter got to the line in 11.70 seconds. Bascombe was the only athlete in the race that bettered the 11.74 Carifta standard, second-placed Leah Bertrand missing out with an 11.79 run.

A 10.98 seconds standard was set for the boys’ under-17 100m event. Naeem Nelson did exactly what was required, the Simplex sprinter clocking 10.98 to strike gold in the final.

Justin Guy enjoyed an easy win in the boys’ under-20 110m hurdles. The Kaizen Panthers athlete got home in 13.79 seconds to beat the 14.11 Carifta standard by 32-hundredths of a second.

Throwers Christopher Crawford, Jeron James, Ashanti Marcelle and Antonia Sealy also achieved qualifying marks on day one.

Crawford triumphed in the boys’ under-20 discus, the Tobago Falcons strongman throwing 50.54 metres. James was the class of the boys’ under-17 shot put field with a 15.05m effort. His Mercury teammate, Marcelle won the girls’ under-17 shot put with a big 13.38m throw. And Sealy, representing Fulfilling Athletic Dreams, threw 41.27m to top the girls’ under-20 javelin.

El Dorado West Secondary’s Gianna Paul, competing in the girls’ open heptathlon, cleared the bar at 1.65m to better the 1.63 under-17 high jump standard. Kaizen Panthers jumper Kelsey Daniel produced a wind-assisted effort of 15.93m in the boys’ under-20 triple jump. The Carifta standard is 15-flat.

The trials will continue from 10am today. The 2020 Carifta Games will be staged in Bermuda between April 10 and 13.