ST STEPHEN’S boys and West Terrace girls will surely be giving the NAPSAC organisers high-fives for shifting the venue right in their backyard.
Spearheaded by their strong Under-13 team, St Stephen’s reclaimed the boys’ title, dethroning Williams Industries West Terrace, who captured the girls crown at the Pine Hill Dairy National Primary Schools Athletic Championships (NAPSAC) yesterday.
Competing about a mile from their home base at the neighbouring Ryan Brathwaite Track of the Usain Bolt Complex where the championships were held for the first time instead of the National Stadium, St Stephen’s, watched by new NAPSAC Hall of Famer, Rivaldo Leacock, who was part of their last triumph in 2010, amassed 121 points to win from Bayley’s with 102. Bay Primary (84) and St Alban’s (77) were third and fourth, respectively.
Bayley’s also had to settle for second among the girls with 89 points, just six fewer than West Terrace, who rallied their troops with dynamic Under-11 athlete Skye Spencer-Layne competing despite not being 100 per cent well, to amass 95 points. St Giles (72) were third and Roland Edwards (63) fourth.
St Stephen’s ensured their triumph by taking the last event, the Under-13 4 x 100 relay in 53.49 seconds courtesy Rashad Worrell, Chaz Searles, Sean Raphael and Achilles Browne.
St Stephen’s boys were also strong in the cricket ball throw as Ziko Rogers (47.93) won among the Under-11s and Rashad Worrell (59.42) won against the Under-13s with Wesley Hall cricket captain Joshua Morris (58.72) second.
Bayley’s won two of the three girls’ 4×100 relays with their Under-9 and Under-13 quartet, but West Terrace also won the Under-11 relay and importantly gained eight points for finishing fifth in the Under-13 relay. Jahzara Holford came back from the disappointment of not placing in the 600 metres among the older girls to win the Under-11 400 in 1:07.17.
A number of individual stars shone brightly in the steamy conditions such as Bay Primary’s Amir Gustave, Roland Edwards’ Tiara Stewart, Good Shepherd’s Shakacia Watson and Naomi Forde-Hinds of St Paul’s.
Forde-Hinds was the fastest athlete on show, setting a record with a sizzling 12.87 seconds in the Under-13 Girls’ 100.
She broke Sagirah Craig’s 2002 record of 12.90 seconds, running faster than Under-13 Boys’ 100 metres winner Searles, who clocked 13.19 seconds, as well as the BSSAC Under-13 girls. Even Ignatius Byer’s Aaliyah Agard (13.04), who was second to Forde-Hinds, ran faster than the boys.
Forde-Hinds returned to win the 200 metres in 27.84 with Agard (28.02) second and Stewart third. Searles completed the sprint double, winning the 200 in 27.35 from the lion-hearted Gustave (27.96).
Gustave, son of netballer Olga Gustave, had earlier won the day’s gruelling two-lap 800 metres in 2:25.02 minutes from Bayley’s Josh Newton (2:28.50) and the 400 metres, just over an hour later, clocking 60.56 seconds.
But the Beckles Road 11-year-old wasn’t finished yet. He ran an amazing anchor leg, showing great grit and superb stamina despite his heavy workload to overtake St Stephen’s Rashad Worrell in the last 40 metres to win in a new record time of 1:55.71 for Bay Primary. The other members of the quartet were Michael Browne, Joaquin Adams and Kemar Butler.
Watson also achieved the middle distance double, winning the Open Girls’ 600 metres in 1:49.83 and 400 (1:02.56). Stewart, who was second in the quarter-mile, won the Under-13 Girls’ long jump with a leap of 4.78 metres, somewhat off her record jumps of 4.96 in the semi-finals and 4.82 metres in the quarter-finals. She also anchored the girls’ medley relay team to victory in 1:02.56, after receiving the baton in fifth.
West Terrace’s Joshua Moore was the victor ludorum. He broke one of the day’s five records, leaping 3.83 metres for victory in the Under-9 Boys’ long jump. He also showcased his track speed, motoring to victories in the Under-9 Boys’ 100 metres (15.02) and 150 (22.63).
St Giles’ Under-9 girl Tia Applewhaite, in the absence of her twin sister Tania, who broke her hand in the quarter-final, also enjoyed a triple treat. She won the girls’ 80-metres (12.16), 100 metres (15.81) and 150 metres (23.28).
Amari Forde of West Terrace was the class act in the Under-11 sprint, winning the 100-metre dash in 13.94 from Wesley Hall’s Kevion Newton (14.20) and St Alban’s Shamari Addison (14.21). But Addison stormed back to take the 200 metres in 28.35 seconds with Eden Lodge’s Jayden Greene (28.86) second.
Bayley’s challenge was led by Daniel Duncan, who set a record in the Under-11 Boys’ long jump with a leap of 4.97 metres and also won the 400 metres in 1:05.46.
Sharon’s Samiya Dell earned bragging rights in the star-studded the Under-11 Girls’ 100 metres field, winning the sprint in 14.07 from Shonte Morris (14.08) of Charles F. Broome.
Spencer-Layne (14.62) placed fifth, finishing behind Arthur Smith’s Kelescia Downes (14.33) and St Stephen’s Ciara Piggott (14.57).
Dell also won the 200 metres in 29.71 from Downes (30.27) and added the long jump (4.24) to share the victrix ludorum title with Applewhaite.
Kimani Straker of Grantley Prescod and St Catherine’s Kaliah Tull won the Under-9 Boys’ and girls’ long jump with a record leap of 3.52 metres and 3.30 metres, respectively. Luther Thorne’s Yazid Daniel won the Under-13 Boys’ long jump (4.76 metres).
