Machel Cedenio marked his admission to the sub-45 club with a tremendous display of one-lap sprinting at the Cayman Invitational, in George Town, Grand Cayman, on Saturday night.
Cedenio produced a jaw-dropping 44.36 seconds run for a commanding victory in the men's 400 metres event. With that clocking, the 19-year-old quartermiler joined Deon Lendore in second spot on the all-time Trinidad and Tobago list.
Only national record holder Ian Morris has run faster. But with Lendore running 44.41 on Saturday afternoon, and Cedenio going five-hundredths of a second faster less than four hours later, Morris' 23-year-old T&T standard of 44.21 seconds could be under serious threat this season.
Cedenio, the 11th T&T athlete to join the sub-45 club, is now second on the 2015 world performance list, behind Grenadian world-leader Kirani James (44.22). Lendore is in third spot.
Ahead of the Cayman Invitational, Cedenio was 12th on the all-time T&T men's 400m list at 45.09. In 44.36 seconds, the Florida-based athlete leapfrogged nine quality quartermilers, including 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon (44.52), who slips to fourth, and 1964 Olympic silver medallist Wendell Mottley (44.82), who is down to seventh.
On Saturday, Cedenio successfully defended his Cayman Invitational title, breaking his 45.23 seconds meet record in the process. The 2014 world junior champion was unchallenged for gold, Jamaican Javon Francis finishing a distant second in 45.54 seconds. Bronze went to American Aldrich Bailey in 45.63.
T&T's Josanne Lucas was fifth in the women's 100m hurdles in 13.76 seconds. Romona Modeste clocked 54.47 for sixth spot in the women's 400m. And Jonathan Farinha, competing on his 19th birthday, finished seventh in the men's 200m in 21.21.
In Florida, Kelly-Ann Baptiste was the fastest sprinter on show in the Pure Athletics Sprint Elite Meet 2 women's 100m preliminaries. The 2011 World Championship bronze medallist topped heat one in 11 seconds flat, but did not face the starter in the final.
In the 200m event, Baptiste earned bronze in a wind-assisted 23.05 seconds.
Deborah John won the women's 100m hurdles "B" final in a wind-aided 13.56 seconds. Her 13.52 preliminary round run was also windy.
And Mikel Thomas clocked 13.50 seconds to secure fourth spot in the men's 110m hurdles final.
At yesterday's Shanghai Diamond League meet, in China, T&T track star Michelle-Lee Ahye finished third in the women's 100m dash in 11.13 seconds. Among the sprinters Ahye beat to the line were Jamaican Olympic champions, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Campbell-Brown was fourth in 11.22, while Fraser-Pryce was fifth in 11.25.
Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare won in 10.98 seconds, while second spot went to American Tori Bowie (11.07).
T&T thrower Cleopatra Borel produced an 18.32 metres effort to finish sixth in the women's shot put. China's Gong Lijiao topped the field with a world-leading 20.23m throw.
Renny Quow finished eighth in the men's 400m, the T&T quartermiler getting home in 46.65 seconds. James emerged victorious in the one-lap race, the Grenadian world-leader stopping the clock at 44.66. Americans Tony McQuay (45.54) and LaShawn Merritt (45.58) were second and third, respectively.
Late on Saturday, Kayelle Clarke earned more precious metal at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Kansas, USA.
Clarke, who won the women's 100m title earlier in the day, added 200m bronze. The New Mexico Junior College sprinter produced a wind-assisted 24.30 seconds run. Western Texas College student, Marissa Gale was seventh in 24.76.
South Plains College athlete, Jereem Richards, winner of the men's 400m title, finished fourth in the 200m final in 21.16 seconds.
South Plains won the men's and women's team titles.
Theon Lewis claimed bronze in the California Community College State Championship men's 400m event. Lewis clocked 47.67 seconds, while his College of the Sequoias teammate and fellow-T&T athlete, Ohdel James got home in 47.78 to finish fourth. In the 200m, Lewis was fifth in 21.68 seconds.
In Texas, Reyare Thomas grabbed gold in the Hardin-Simmons Twilight meet women's 200m event. The T&T sprinter completed the half-lap race in 23.92 seconds.
At the Hoka One One Distance Classic, in California, Jamaal James finished seventh in the men's 800m "B" race in one minute, 52.83 seconds.
And two Saturdays ago, at the Occidental Invitational, in California, Magnolia Howell clocked 54.37 seconds for fifth spot in the women's 400m.