by JUSTIN MARVILLE

JARIA HOYTE is so good she can't even beat herself.

Bayley's star middle distance runner overcame a near disastrous fall at the start of the Trevor Straughan Memorial Cross-Country Race before successfully retaining her crown yesterday on the Wildey Gymnasium circuit.

So dominant was Hoyte that her opening tumble didn't even prevent the reigning two-time National Primary Schools' Athletic Championship 400 and 600 metres title holder from posting a career best 6 minutes, 52 seconds on the mile-run.

But for a while it looked as if the defending champ would have to battle more than the clock and drop.

Clad in a near identical orange vest, Westbury's Mary Fraser established an early advantage after separating herself from the pack just 200 metres into the race.

However, just as the gruelling conditions took care of that chase group, Hoyte similarly dealt with the diminutive Fraser.

And by the time the two made their way back down the hill towards the finish, Hoyte had fittingly opened up a decent enough gap to cross the line a full second ahead of the fast-closing Fraser.

West Terrace's Darian Blunt had an easier time of it minutes later though, surviving a torrid start from Akem Scott to take the boys' equivalent with a 6:33 clocking.

The optimistic Westbury athlete flew out of the blocks as if contesting a 100 sprint, but Blunt and Josiah Hinds (St Stephen's) quickly tracked him down just 300 metres into the race before distancing themselves from the field.

Hinds finished second in 6:36 while Jelani Layne of St Joseph was third with a time of 6:43.

RESULTS

Girls

1. Jaria Hoyte (Bayley's) 6:52

2. Mary Fraser (Westbury) 6:53

3. Cheyenne Cummins (Milton Lynch) 7:20

4. Jeal Williams (Westbury) 7:21

5. Alexis Clarke (St Winifred's) 7:31

Boys

1. Darian Blunt (West Terrace) 6:33

2. Josiah Hinds (St Stephen's) 6:36

3. Jelani Layne (St Joseph) 6:43

4. Kale Greenidge (Milton Lynch) 6:46

5. Jaleel Bovell (Hilda Skeene) 6:49