SMS shock Cawmere to do the double

The St. Michael School (SMS) Cougars roared back to do the double by capturing both the girls (443) and boys (387) titles on the final day of the BNOC Frank Blackman Zone of the Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championship (BSSAC).

The kings and queens of Martindale’s Road previously did the zonal double in 2017 and 2018. Trailing Combermere in both divisions at the end of yesterday’s first day, the Cougars relegated both the Waterford girls and boys to second place as they eventually ended on 394.50 points and 328 points respectively.

Former perennial queens of BSSAC, Springer Memorial did well to finish third (312.50) and were followed by Queen’s College (221) in fourth and the Lodge School who tallied 162 points to place fifth.

In the boys, St. Leonard’s accumulated 291 points to finish third, defending champions QC were relegated to fourth position with 268.50 points and Lodge (225) was fifth.

The highlight of today was the replacement of four BSSAC records.

SMS sprinter Skye Spencer-Layne ran a brisk 11.35 seconds in the junior girls 75m hurdles to eclipse the 2009 BSSAC record of 11.51 seconds set by Shakera Hall. She also dismissed the zonal record of 11.66 held by Samiya Dell.

Shanice Hutson of Alexandra was also in record throwing form, with her effort of 46.04m in the Under-20 girls’ discus easily surpassing the 42.71m set by Leah Bannister in 2011.

In the junior boys shot put, Ayden Greenidge of QC threw 14.44m to erase Dwayne Burke’s 24-year-old BSSAC record of 14.43 set in 1996, while Jemuel Miller of Combermere set a new mark of 15.64m in the Under-20 boys’ triple jump. That bettered the 15.57m mark registered by Nathan Crawford-Wallis of Christ Church Foundation School last Wednesday in the Sol Esther Maynard Zone.

Miller also proved unbeatable in the Under-20 boys’ high jump with a winning leap of 1.97m.

Along with dominating the Under-15 long jump with a jump of 5.35m, Spencer-Layne also produced the second-fastest time of 12.71 in the 100m behind the 12.68 clocked by her SMS schoolmate Jahzara Holford who also captured the 400m (59.57).

SMS’s top Under-20 quarter-miler Rhea Hoyte set two zonal records. She ran 60.81 in the 400m hurdles which erased the 62.70 set last year by Shonita Brome and she also slammed those competing in her heat of the 200m with her time of 24.54 surpassing the 2016 zonal record of 24.82 by Keira Forde-Richards.

Shadae Worrell had a comfortable win of 46.50 seconds in the Under-17 girls’ 300m hurdles with the next best time being the 46.60 clocked by Tionce Walrond of Springer Memorial.

Asia Foster lived up to expectation in the Under-20 girls’ 800m, finishing in a time of 2:23.48 to record the fastest time.

In the field, Tenielle Chapman-Goodluck of SMS produced a gold medal throw of 39.19m in the Under-17 girls’ discus and Kayleig Catwell’s 1.55m effort won the Under-17 girls’ high jump for SMS.

Combermere’s second-place finish in the girls had much to do with great performances from the Applewhaite twins Tania and Tia.

In the Under-13 girls’ 100m, Tania (12.97) and Tia (13.05) both went under the zonal record of 13.07 seconds set in 2018 by Spencer-Layne.

Tania’s fast pace run of 61.80 in the 400m made light work of the 62.97 set in 2017 by Ebony Downes-Tempro.

The identical twin towers were inseparable once again in the long jump as Tia’s mark of 4.70m went beyond Tia’s jump of 4.62m. The pair also led their school to victory in the 4x100m relay.

Tiara Stewart of Ellerslie looked good (2:33.17) in the Under-17 girls’ 800m and Ashlyn Simmons of Alexandra clocked 5:19.32 to be victorious in the junior girls 1500m.

Josiah Parris of SMS looked relaxed as he stamped his authority in 56.64 seconds in the Under-17 boys’ 400m hurdles. Parris also advanced to the final of the 200m, clocking 22.15. However, he will need another gear to catch Amani Mascoll-Beckles of Lodge who finished in 21.75 seconds.

In that event both Parris and Mascoll-Beckles went under the 21.80 which was the zonal record set in 2017 by Darian Clarke.

The Under-17 girls’ 200m was won by Aaliyah Agard of Frederick Smith (24.83), just ahead of Nya Browne of QC in 24.87.

The SMS pair of Darian Clarke (21.55) and Nathan Roett (21.81) finished behind Combermere speedster Mikhail Carvalho (21.41) who had the fastest 200m time for Under-20 boys.

Michael Patrick of SMS (54.68) and Jumula Estwick of Lodge (54.82) had the overall fastest times in the Under-20 boys’ 400m hurdles.

Jaquan Pilgrim won the Under-15 boys’ 100m in 11.68 seconds and was marginally faster than the previous zonal record of 11.69 set by Sean Raphael in 2018.

Pilgrim was also unstoppable in the 400m (54.44).

The boys of SMS also earned points thanks to Caleb Massiah (13.68m) in the Under-17 triple jump while Micah Blair topped the Under-15 long jump (5.66m).

Nathan Goddard-McCarthy of Combermere comfortably recorded the overall fastest time of 2:00.45 in the Under-20 boys’ 800m. The Under-17 boys’ 800m was easily captured by John Clarke of QC (2:03.88) while Christopher Lestrade of Ellerslie (4:45.46) had the best showing in the junior boys 1500m.

Tyjah Bishop of St. Leonard’s Boys crossed the finish line in 15.06 seconds to win the junior boys 100m hurdles. Roshaun Ward had two top place finishes in the Under-13 boys’ 100m (12.03) and 400m (60.20) for Alexandra School.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb