While the rest of us were freezing back in New York, Ronaldo Griffiths (Clara Barton) was competing against the best of the Caribbean down in Jamaica. The annual CARIFTA Games has attracted many from the Empire State over the past few years, most notable those from the PSAL.
Griffiths was already the Freshman National Record Holder in the 400m Hurdles, but three years had gone by, and that PR still stood. Well, in the first week of Outdoor Track, Griffiths shattered that mark with a 51.92 in the 400m Hurdle Trials. He would be the leading competitor heading into the finals, but would take second behind Timor Barrett of St. Jago, JA. Expect the pair to have a rematch at the Penn Relays.
Griffiths takes down the PSAL Record set by Frank Mensah (Boys and Girls - '92), who ran 52.58. The mark is NY #6 All-Time, just behind Greg Hines (Walt Whitman - '93). Griffiths marks the fourth year in a row we've had an athlete make the Top 5 All-Time, as Rai Benjamin (Mount Vernon) did it in 2014 and 2015, and Infinite Tucker (Huntington) did so last year.
Griffiths also competed in the 110HH, which produced slow times under heavy winds, and a NY #1 22.08 in the 200m Dash.
