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The 2014 Cayman Invitational brought some of the biggest names in track and field to Cayman.
Let’s start with the local runners — in the men’s 100-metres dash, Caymanian Kemar Hyman and Tyrell Cuffy ran together. Hyman finished 6th with a time of 10.33 seconds while Cuffy took 8th with a time of 10.75. It was Hyman’s first open hundred of the year.

“It’s not too bad,” said Hyman, a 2012 Olympic qualifier. “It wasn’t the time I was looking for but I still came out and executed. So we’ll see when I go back to the States, we’ll see what my coach says, fix a couple of things and get back ready for the next race.”

St. Kitts and Nevis star Kim Collins was the first to cross the line in this one with a time of 10.22 seconds. That’s the 47th fastest time run in the world this year.

Cuffy also ran in the Men’s 200, where he finished 6th with a time of 21.39. The big story in this race was Panama’s Alonso Edward, who finished in 20 seconds flat. That’s the fastest time ever run in Cayman and according to the IAAF website, that’s the second fastest time in the world this year.

Another local Olympic athlete to settle into the blocks was Ronald Forbes in the men’s 110-metres high hurdles. Forbes finished 6th with a time of 13.88 seconds. It was Forbes’ first race nearly a year since suffering an Achilles injury that almost ended his career.

“Last night I actually felt happy,” said Forbes, who said he didn’t suffer from any pre-race nerves. “I feel fortunate to have a second chance to go out and actually compete. And not just compete, but in front of a home crowd.”

It was a particularly special night for Junior Tahj Lewis who ran in the men’s 800-metres alongside runners like Jamaal James, a three-time NCAA Division 1 All-American.

Lewis finished 6th with a time of 1-minute 57.45 seconds. He says the experience is invaluable.

“It’s great,” Lewis said. “They’re pros. They’re running, you know, some of the best times in the world. It is always good to — whether you’re training or competing against the professionals — it’s just always a good push.

American Jeneba Tarmoh stole the show in the women’s 100, winning with a time of 11.14 seconds. World Championships silver medalist Murielle Ahoure finished one one-hundredth of a second behind her.

Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown took 4th with a time of 11.27.

“It’s below what I’m used to,” Campbell-Brown said. “I’m a perfectionist and I’m not sure what happened in the race. We have to look at the video. But it’s been a rough couple months and I’m getting back into the rhythm of things and I’m staying patient and trust in God.”