Obadele Thompson’s 16-year record in the Under-15 Boys’ 100 metres was one of six which were broken yesterday, the second day of the 2011 Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletic Championships.
Tamal Atwell of The Lodge School had spectators – including his mum Diana Atwell – jumping in the stands at the National Stadium when he showed the rest of the field a clean pair of heels in the very first heat. His time of 11.16 seconds replaced the 11.25 which Thompson had set in 1995.
In the very next heat, Mario Burke of Harrison College stopped the clock at 11.13 seconds, but he had a wind of 2.8 metres per second, ruling him out of the books. This sets up an intriguing final between these two as this record could fall again.
In the Under-13 Girls’ race, Tristan Evelyn of Springer Memorial was also in a record-breaking mood with 12.13 seconds, dumping Akela Jones’ 12.21 from the books.
One of the highlights of the day was Combermere’s Ramarco Thompson and Brandon Hope of the Lester Vaughan School trading jumps in the Under-15 boys’ high jump.
Even as Hope was leading, Thompson’s father Anthony stated with quiet confidence that Ramarco could clear 1.85m if he put his mind to it.
Ramarco was more than up to the challenge. He went as high as 1.87 metres, replacing the 1.82 by another Combermerian, Hyron Griffith, which had been there since 1998. Seeking CARIFTA qualification, he went after 1.90 metres and seemed to have it cleared when his heels clipped the bar.
Hope was second at 1.84 metres and Deighton Griffith’s Rico Trotman third with 1.69m. Thompson also set a new record of 39.27 metres in the 300m hurdles, down from 40.14 by Dario Scantlebury.
Rhys Phillips of The Lester Vaughan School didn’t need to win the 1 500 metres to win the pentathlon. He amassed 3 800 points to set a new meet record and removed Shane Brathwaite’s 3 728.
The Lodge School’s Daley Carter was second with 3 517 and Raphael Jordan of Queen’s College third with 3 243.
