RED’s wait is over. Finally!
It was history in the making after Frederick Smith Secondary School’s perennial doormats overturned decades’ worth of futility to dethrone Green and win their first inter-house crown in more than 20 years yesterday at the National Stadium.
Watched by old scholar and one-time World Youth octathlon gold medallist Shane Brathwaite, Red held off a late challenge from the defending two-time champs to post 865 points – 51 better than Green, who entered the day trailing by 38 points.
Such was their breakthrough performance that Red took both the girls’ (441) and boys’ (424) titles by considerable margins despite fielding just two division champions on the day.
The efforts of Under-13 king Lloyd Smith and Shae Coulthurst in the Under-17 Girls’ category proved more than enough following a fine all-round team performance.
Smith had to share the division crown with Keshawn Haynes after going toe-to-toe with his heated Blue rival in just about every race. He won the 100, 400 and 800 metres before Haynes pipped him in the 200 while also winning the long and high jumps.
Coulthurst wasn’t that dominant either following her victory in the 100 metres as she settled for a silver medal throw in the javelin and a pair of bronze medals in the 200 and shot put.
Green accounted for the meet’s best showing, courtesy of Rico Hurley’s 77-point effort which saw the Under-17 winner take the 100, 200, 400, 1500, long jump and high jump.
The undoubted victor ludorum also placed second in the discus and shot put.
He was just one of three divisional champs for Green, who got 46 points from Chevonne Moore following his wins in the 200, javelin and high jump; a silver medal run in the 100; and a third-place effort in the long jump.
Under-13 queen Jenique Forde rounded out the three by doing the sprint double and placing second in the high jump for a division-best 34 points.
However, that performance was nowhere close to the school’s top girl, not after Yellow’s Sharice Francis won the 400 and placed in just about every other event to finish with 42 points. Tthe next best female performance came in that same division as Red’s Dayna Babb ended just one point adrift.
Yellow’s success didn’t end with Francis, as Brian Boyce swept the Under-20 Boys’ 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1 500 metres on the way to 55 points.
