O'Dayne Richards and Kaliese Spencer walked away with the male and female athlete of the year trophies at the JAAA's Golden Cleats Awards at the Terra Nova Hotel on Friday night.
Richards became the first field event athlete in the nine-year history of the Golden Cleats Awards to win. He beat out challenges from fellow Commonwealth champions, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Rasheed Dwyer and Andrew Riley, along with top ranked sprint hurdler Hansle Parchment.
Richards, in Glasgow, became the first Jamaican to win the men's shot putt at the Commonwealth Games, after throwing a championship and national record 21.61 meters.
Kaliese Spencer, who secured 400 meter hurdles gold in Glasgow, captured the female award. She was preferred to World Indoor 60m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, fellow Commonwealth Champions Stephanie McPherson and Kimberly Williams, along with 400m Diamond race winner Novlene Williams Mills.
Stephen Francis copped the Coach of the Year award for the third time.
Youth 110M record holder Jaheel Hyde secured the Howard Aris Award for Excellence in Non Traditional Events. He also received the Howard Aris Scholarship for Top Male Junior Athlete of the Year while St. Jago's Youth Olympic Games 200m champion Nataliah Whyte received the girls’ award.
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