BSSAC to revert to two-zone format

The island’s premier junior track and field meet, the Dasani-Powerade Barbados Secondary School Athletics Championship (BSSAC) is set to start with the field championship at Queen’s College from March 4th-7th and the track events running from March 18th until the grand finals on March 28th at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex.

 

However, during a media launch at Queen’s College, organisers announced that the meet

 

is reverting to schools being split into two zones, while there will be a technical change to the sprint and intermediate hurdles events for boys.

 

BSSAC meet director Dave Small explained that the heights for hurdles are to be lowered while the distances for some races will be reduced.

 

“We had buy-in from the stakeholders and the physical education teachers and It was decided unanimously, as many schools don’t have hurdles, that we would like to improve the hurdling situation by bringing it back to what it was before,” he said.

 

The junior boys will now compete in the 80 metre hurdles at 84 centimetres, Under-17 boys 100 metres at 91 centimetres, and the Under-20 boys 110 metres hurdles at 99 centimetres.

 

For the intermediate hurdles, junior boys will compete in the 300 metre hurdles at 76 centimetres. Under-20 Boys will run the 400 metre hurdles at 84 centimetres.

 

Small stated that the decision to lower the height of the hurdles was intended to increase the volume of participation in these events. However, since the heights are being lowered, the boys’ hurdles events will not serve as CARIFTA qualifiers this year.

 

Meanwhile, BSSAC chairperson Sonja Goodridge revealed that this year the organisation’s technical officials will be mandated to complete intense training to ensure the standard of the meet is improved.

Combermere School are the reigning double-crown champions after winning the boys and girls title last year in a historic championship.

 

Schools & Zones in alphabetical order-

Esther Maynard & Ryan Brathwaite Zone: Alleyne School, Beyond The Box Education, Christ Church Foundation School, Combermere School, Deighton Griffith Secondary School, Frederick Smith Secondary School, Grantley Adams Memorial, Graydon Sealy Secondary School, The Lester Vaughan School, Providence, Springer Memorial, St Leonard’s Boys, Young Explorers Barbados.

Frank Blackman & Sada Williams Zone: Alexandra School, Ann Hill School, Codrington High School, Coleridge and Parry School, Daryll Jordan School, Ellerslie School, Harrison College, The Lodge School, Parkinson Memorial Secondary School, Princess Margaret School, Queen’s College, The St Michael School, St Winifred’s School.

(BT)