GIVING a prelude to their intentions at next week’s finals, Christ Church Foundation fired early warning shots by winning the boys’ title in the inaugural Esther Maynard Zone of the PowerAde Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championships (BSSAC)at the National Stadium, yesterday.
Foundation ended with 350.5 points while Combermere gave a commendable display, amassing 313 points to be second. The Waterford boys also gained bragging rights by winning the meet’s final event, the 4×400-metre relay with the quartet of Josiah Beckles, Theo Greenidge, Deandre Harris and the impressive anchor Nathan Fergusson in 3:21.29 minutes.
St Leonard’s Boys (277), Harrison College (274) and Alleyne (261) rounded out the top five positions.
Foundation’s success came despite Rivaldo Leacock, who switched from reigning BSSACchamps, Lester Vaughan, only competing in a solitary event.
He won the day’s first track event, easily winning the Under-20 Boys’ 400 hurdles in 54.30 seconds to set the tone for Foundation’s triumph.
Nathan Crawford-Wallis left his stamp on the meet, claiming his fourth win in the Junior Boys’ shot with a put of 10.67 metres to be crowned victor ludorum.
The Christ Church school, who were second at BSSAClast year, also got wins from Rio Williams (1:58.39) in the Under-20 800 metres; Andell Dash (45.97) in the 200 hurdles; Kevin Briggs (22.13) in the Under-20 200 metres and Kalvin Marcus (56.50) in the Under-20 javelin.
Fergusson led Combermere’s charge, winning the Under-17 Boys’ 400 hurdles in 57.35 seconds from Alleyne’s top performing athlete Delano Wickham (57.43), who came back to win the high jump with a leap of 1.80 metres. Matthew Forde of Combermere took the Junior Boys’ javelin with a throw of 34.58 metres. K-cey Williams gave Combermere another win, putting the shot 12.89 metres to take the Under-20 event.
Matthew Clarke completed the Under-17 sprint double for Combermere, taking the 200 metres in 21.94 seconds from Fergusson (22.76), while Mikhail Carvalho (24.36) won the Under-15 200 metres.
Harrison College’s Caleb Massiah, with a leap of 4.90 metres in the Under-13 long jump and schoolmate Kai Alleyne (2:04.89) in the Under-17 800 metres, were victorious.
Alleyne’s Ackiem Ramsay (2:19.17) was the Under-15 800 winner while St George’s swept the top two positions in the Under-13 race, courtesy Simon John (2:33.85) and Darius Boyce (2:35.90). St George’s talented first-former Jamarco Gill (26.19) completed the sprint treble by winning the Under-13 Boys 200 metres, forcing Massiah (26.43) and Kobe Hutson (26.92) into second and third.
Grantley Adams Memorial enjoyed double success through Josh LaRose in the Under-17 javelin (45.50 metres) and the shot put (13.02) metres.
Ellerslie also tasted victory as Ori Edwards leapt 5.50 metres for Under-15 long jump glory.
It will be the turn of the other schools when the Frank Blackman Zone starts today at 9 a.m. and climaxes tomorrow.
ezrastuart@nationnews.com
