THE STUDENTS of the Arthur Smith Primary School brought great excitement to the Lashley Williams Complex in Dover, Christ Church, when the school held its inter-house sports last Thursday.
Once again, the unique venue would prove a burial ground for defending champions seeking to retain their title. This time around it was Orange House who fell victim to the newly crowned champions Platinum House with 326 points.
Burgundy House secured the runners up spot with 281 points. Purple, who led the competition into Thursday’s final day with 110 points, could only add a further 169 points to finish in third position on 279. Those positions effectively relegated Orange House to the fourth place as they managed 265 points.
Tactics were essential to Platinum’s victory and they outsmarted the competition in the relays where the points awarded per team for final positions were doubled, with the winner receiving 16, second 12, third 8 and fourth 4 points.
Platinum ran off with three of the relays. the combination of Caleb Cumberbatch, Devon Bynoe, Rickeem Walcott and Chakyi Payne slammed the field in the Under-13 Boys 4 x 100 metres.
Fans were kept at the edge of the track as it was the turn of Antonia Hurdle, Daunte Rice, J’Quan Knight and Shane Robinson who prevailed in the Under-9 Boys equivalent. Hurdle was also victorious in the 150 metres earlier.
Flawless girls
The girls were not to be outdone and the quartet of Kelescia Downes, Keeshanna Smith, Tinia David and Tanija Maughn flawlessly perfected the Open Girls 800 metres distance Medley Relay.
Earlier, Talya Kennedy of Burgundy house etched her name in the school’s history books
as she stormed to victory in the Under- 9 Girls 100 metres in a new record time of 14.47 which erased the old time of 14.52 set by Aaliyah Wilburgh back in 2009.
Kennedy, the only athlete to break a record on the day, would later return to take the 150 metres among her peers.
Two other relays which grabbed the spectators’ attention. In the Open Boys 800 medley relay, Purple, thanks to the efforts of Jay Agard, Rishon Walker, Josiah Robertson and Kai Leacock kept supporters jumping for joy as they controlled that event.
Despite never rivalling the competition at any stage in their meek surrender, Orange House was given something to celebrate as Megan Alleyne, Shaniyah Forde, Dakiya Walcott and Sannyyah Hurdle-Moseley rotated like a well-oiled machine to capture the Under-9 Girls 4×100 metres.
In the 100 metres sprints, the Under-13 Girls went to Keeshanna Smith of Platinum while Orange’s Johnaton Johnson won the boys leg. In the Under-11 Girls, Kelescia Downs of Purple got to the line first.
Burgundy house secured the boys equivalent through Nathan Jack (below, winning).
