Lester Vaughan Girls and St Leonard’s Boys topped the preliminary of the one-off Barbados National Secondary Schools Athletics Championships at Weymouth “A” yesterday.
With just six schools entered among the girls, Lester Vaughan gained 160 points and were followed by Christ Church Foundation with 123 and Ellerslie on 96. Darryl Jordan (42), Deighton Griffith (40) and Alma Parris (35) were the other participants.
The race for honours among the seven boys’ schools saw St Leonard’s accumulating 195 points to stave off their two main rivals, Christ Church Foundation on 154 and Lester Vaughan with 138.
Darryl Jordan were fourth with 79 points while the surprise of the day was Alma Parris, who came a commendable fifth on 60 points, ahead of Ellerslie (39) and Deighton Griffith (28).
There were no field events as the day’s action was restricted to races in the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 metres.
The absence of 15 schools, for reasons which remain unclear, was a reminder of the 1985 boycott of the inaugural Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championships, led then by older secondary schools.
Watched by their CARIFTA Games’ 400-metre hurdles’ silver medallist Kion Joseph and principal Joseph King, St Leonard’s success was due to an all-round team effort. However, there was double delight for Chemar Holder in the 800 metres (2:16.27) and 1500 metres (4:48.44) while his schoolmate Kade Mascoll finished second in both races for a 1-2 sweep.
Jumulah Estwick of St Leonard’s was also a triple winner among the Under-13 Boys, winning the 200 metres in 28.39 seconds; 400 metres (60.83 seconds) and 800 metres (2:43.37) while another St Leonard’s boy, Tyrique Brathwaite, was the fastest among the Under-13s with a 13.61 clocking in the 100-metre dash.
St Leonard’s also had a 1-2 finish in the Under-17 Boys’ 100 metres through Reco Griffith (11.58) and Jaquone Hoyte (11.76) after Kentoine Browne of Deighton Griffith and Lester Vaughan’s Kevin Briggs false-started.
Even though the CARIFTA Games athletes were exempted from the preliminary and will be allowed automatic entry when the finals are held during next term, middle-distance runner Joshua Hunte of Foundation still competed after returning from The Bahamas the night before. He won the 1500 metres in 4:24.05 minutes.
Foundation also had three double winners – Kyle Farrell did the sprint double in the Under-20 division, slamming the field in the 100 metres (11.11) and 200 metres (24.00) while Shashamani Kellman did likewise among the Under-15 Boys, winning the 100 metres (11.70) and 200 metres (24.81) from Darryl Jordan’s Shane Jordan, who won the 400 metres in 58.58 seconds.
Another Foundation boy, Rio Williams, won the junior boys’ 800 metres (2:28.88) and 1500 metres in 5:15.52 while Christan Blades took the Under-20 Boys’ 400 metres in 53.81 seconds.
Lester Vaughan’s Antonio Weekes won the Under-17 Boys’ 200 metres (23.68) and 400 metres (54.10) and teammate Stephen Griffith triumphed in the Under-20 Boys’ 800 metres in 2:21.98.
Lester Vaughan girls’ triumph was due to Shanequa Allamby’s victories in the 400 metres (71.15) and the 200 metres in 29.94 when she won from Foundation’s Makeba Brewster, who turned the tables in the 100 metres (13.44).
Azriel Chadderton also won the Under-13 Girls’ 200 metres (30.60) and 400 metres (70.85) while Cheryse Rollins captured the 800 metres (3:19.89) among the Under-20 Girls and Jade Best won the Under-13 800 metres in 2:38.65.
Ellerslie’s Toriann Alleyne was the fastest Under-15 girl, doing the sprint double with comfortable wins in the 100 metres (13.05) and 200 metres (27.78) while Foundation’s Cheyanne Cummins triumphed in the Under-15 Girls’ 400 metres in 65.26 seconds after winning the juniors girls’ 1500 metres in 6:20.68 minutes. Cummins was second to Alleyne in the 200 metres time-finals with a time of 28.26.
Katrina Small of Ellerslie also did the sprint double in the Under-17 Girls’ 100 metres (12.94) and 200 metres (28.50) and 400 while Ellerslie’s Talisha Allman took the Under-13 Girls’ 100 metres in 14.13 seconds.
Deighton Griffith’s Saydia Weekes won the Under-17 Girls’ 400 metres (64.90) and 800 metres in 2:44.86 while her schoolmate Florence Fields crossed the line first in the Under-17 Girls’ 1500 metres in 6:03.20.
There was also victory for Shaunika Trotman of Alma Parris in the Under-15 Girls’ 800 metres in 3:07.92.
