EIGHT FEELS SO GREAT for Alexandra’s perennial powers.
It wasn’t enough to be seven times lucky as O’neal House (Yellow) survived a huge challenge from Frederick (Red) before holding on to win an eighth successive sports day championship yesterday at the National Stadium.
Behind yet another heroic effort from top athlete Shonita Brome, the champs finished with 785.4 points only 20.4 better than second-placed Frederick, who seemed poised to unseat O’neal’s near oppressive reign after winning five of the last six relays.
At one point Red even thought they had the title in the bag when the points update was announced with Frederick overtaking O’neal at lunchtime, and by a healthy 16 points.
But those standings didn’t include the points garnered by an 800 series won by Yellow’s champion athletes. It was a thrilling back and forth battle typified by the fight for an Under-15 division that saw Brome having to hold off chief Frederick rival Diamond Grimes time after time.
So thrilling were the encounters that nothing appeared to have separated Brome (12.93 seconds) from Grimes (12.94) in their photo-finish 100 metres battle.
Brome (26.50) then had to repeat the gritty effort in the 200 against her hard charging rival (26.62) before pulling through in the final five metres.
But the victrix ludorum proved much more dominant in her other events enroute to victories in the 400 (1:01.59), 800 (2:35.34), 1500, long jump, discus, javelin and shot put that gave her a meet-best 90 points.
Oddly enough, she was O’neal’s lone division winner on the day as Frederick accounted for four of the age group champs, including victor ludorum Stephon Alleyne.
Competing in the Under-20 boys’ category, Alleyne finished with 51 points following wins in the 200 (23.79), long jump and shot put, a second-place showing in the 100 and a bronze medal throw in the javelin.
His teammate and Under-17 king Agyei Decteville-Phillips also won a pair of events by taking the 400 (55.99) and 1500 before finishing second in the 800.
The other Under-17 crown went Red’s way too when Gabrielle Reece took top honours in the girls’ equivalent, while Faith Sandiford did the Under-20 sprint double on her way to finishing the day as the best senior girl.
Arnold (Dark Blue) eventually ended the meet in third after tallying 687 points and winning the Under-13 girls’ category through the efforts of Tamara Jarvis.
Skinner (Light Blue), who fielded Under-13 king Daniel Thompson and top Under-15 lass Thai Moore, were fourth with 582 points while Lysons (Green) brought up the rear on 522.
