Jehue Gordon lived up to expectations on the opening day of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Track and Field Championships, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, yesterday, winning the boys' under-20 400 metres hurdles in a record-breaking 50.26 seconds.

The World Championship fourth-place finisher was in a race of his own, completing his circuit of the track with more than a second to spare on silver medallist Leslie Murray (51.45) of the US Virgin Islands. Bronze was bagged by Dominican Juan Martinez (52.01).

Gordon was one of four Trinidad and Tobago athletes who struck gold on day one.

Ashlee Smith opened the golden account with victory in the girls' under-20 discus. Smith produced a 47.32 metres throw, forcing Jamaica's Candicen Bernard (46.93m) to settle for silver. Mexico's Ana Gonzalez (45.58m) picked up bronze.

Kernesha Spann joined Smith in winners' row when she clocked 43.22 seconds in the girls' under-17 300m hurdles. The T&T athlete got the better of Barbadian Shakera Hall (43.31) in a tight finish. Jamaica's Claudette Allen (43.78) was third.

And Cherisse Murray triumphed in the girls' under-20 shot put with a 12.08m effort. After taking the lead with an 11.45m opening round throw, Murray slipped into second spot in the second round. She stayed there till the sixth and final round, the T&T thrower closing off her campaign with what turned out to be the golden put. Panama's Gisela Henriquez (11.61m) and Jamaican Glenieve Grange (11.25m) finished second and third, respectively. Another T&T thrower, Shaunna Downey (10.71m) was sixth.

Sabian Cox bagged bronze for T&T in the boys' under-20 100m dash with a 10.68 seconds run, into a 1.4 metres per second headwind. Jamaica's Bernardo Breads and St Kitts and Nevis sprinter Jason Rogers earned the top two spots, clocking 10.64 and 10.66, respectively.

T&T also claimed bronze in the girls' under-20 400m hurdles, Gabriela Cumberbatch securing third spot in 59.44 seconds. Jamaica swept the top two places, Ristananna Tracey grabbing gold in 58.59 and Danielle Dowie seizing silver in 58.94.

While it was a generally good day for female athletes from T&T, it was a disappointing one for sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye. After leading all qualifiers into the girls' under-20 100m final with an 11.61 seconds run, she complained of muscle soreness and did not face the starter in the final.