Head coach Seibert Straughn says he is pleased with the performances and progress of the Christ Church Foundation athletes who participated at the annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
“We had very pleasing performances from our team at the 2018 Penn Relays. This has shown that the CCFS Beacons can compete on the international stage and produce quality on the day,” he said as 16 Foundation athletes and four officials returned home on Wednesday night.
“To be in two finals at this level has showed that we continue to improve as a team and it is a step in the right direction for us to be in the High School Championships finals in 2018.”
In the international final, Foundation girls’ 4×100 metres relay team quartet of Sarah Belle, Hannah Connell, Kyla Cummins and Leilani Haddock were sixth in 48.08 seconds.
The boys’ 4×100 team of Laquan Trotman, Josiah Atkins (who did the sprint double at BSSAC), Jean Pierre-Hinds and Jameel Walkes-Miller finished second in 41.82 seconds behind Woolmer’s High of Jamaica.
The girls’ 4×400 quartet of Chloe Lucas (58.97), Rosette Hoyte (58.92), Belle (58.40) and Connell (58.57) were 21st out of a total of 611 competing teams after finishing third in their heat in 3:54.85 minutes. The boys’ 4×400 foursome of Dalano Wickham (48.80), Brandon Hoyte (50.33), Raheem Taitt-Best (49.32) and Ondre Callender (49.34), also came third in their heat but were 12th overall, in 3:17.77 minutes, out of the 536 schools.
There were modest individual performances in the jumps, with the best efforts of Jadon Brome and Kayode Nurse in the boys’ triple jump being 14.20 and 13.58 metres, respectively. Experienced CARIFTA athlete Anderson Greaves was below par, with a number of foul jumps as he managed a mere 5.17 metres in the boys’ long jump.
Straughn, a two-time Olympian, lauded several people for contribution to the successful outing.
“Massive thank you to my management team for an outstanding job in sometimes challenging conditions,” he said while mentioning principal Robert Cumberbatch and the school’s staff, parents of the children and numerous sponsors, including the Foundation Old Scholars Association (FOSA), New York, the Lighthouse Knights & Lights uniform provider, Tyrone Clarke and planning consultant Dawn Best of Going Places Travel.
The Foundation athletes also got valuable advice from former standout Barbados athlete and national 400 metres record holder Elvis Forde.
“Athletes, for you to move to the next level I hope you would had taken the valuable information from head coach of Temple University, Barbadian Olympian Elvis Forde. To be a champion you must be disciplined and dedicated, have commitment, a great attitude and a strong academic profile,” Straughn said. (EZS)
