By Anmar Goodridge-Boyce
It was like Déjà vu for Elizabeth House.
Three years after the St Michael School held this island’s first historic glow track and field meet at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex, the athletes from Elizabeth once again painted the Ryan Brathwaite track purple as they romped to a fifth straight inter-house athletics title on Friday night.
On a night of lights and glorious moments, the Elizabeth House athletes shone brighter than the stars in the night sky to capture 1,021.50 points in front of an estimated crowd of close to 6000 spectators.
Anne House (yellow) were second on 727.50 points, followed by Boadicea (blue) who secured 610 points and Victoria (red) with 565.
Elizabeth’s impressive victory was spearheaded by CARIFTA Games athlete Josiah Parris, Ethan McColin, Jahzara Inniss and new stars Sarama James and Christopher Palmer.
Parris, competing at his swansong inter-house sports at the SMS Cougars, produced a show for the fans, worth every cent of the entrance fee. The 18-year-old who secured a scholarship to the University of Kansas, captured the Under-20 boys 800, 400 and 200 metre events.
He raced to victory in 2:29.44 minutes ahead of Anne House’s Jaquan Pilgrim (2:31.92) in the 800-metres and it was a similar story in the one-lap quarter mile as Parris clocked 49.51 seconds to edged out Pilgrim (52.41).
However, Parris who also won the senior boys triple jump (11.98 metres) along with the long jump (6.16 metres) had spectators in the stands screaming for an encore when he stormed to 21.52 seconds to win the 200-metre spectacle in front of Anne House’s Jadon Pearce (22.00).
Nevertheless, Pearce had the last laugh and got sweet revenge in the marquee 100-metre event for Under-20 boys, denying Parris of the clean sweep he craved.
Parris (10.86) was off to blistering start, leading at the 60-metre mark but Pearce found an extra gear to stage an upset, dipping on the line to stop the clock at 10.79 seconds.
Boadicea’s Brieanna Boyce was in a class of her own and record-breaking form in the Under-20 girls’ division, completing an impressive unbeaten night as she won the 800 (2:46.79 minutes) , 400 (57.17 seconds) , 200 (24.60 seconds) , 100 (12.37 seconds) metres before anchoring the 4×100 metre relay for senior girls in a new mark of 50.21 seconds.
Boyce scorched the track and produced a new record time in the 400 metres, erasing the old time of 57.39 seconds set by Leah Barker in 2014.
Among the Under-13 girls, first-former James has shown she is one for the future, with a clean sweep of the long jump (3.55 metres) 100 (13.50 seconds) , 400 (1:08.19 minutes) and 200 (27.99 seconds).
In the boys’ equivalent, Palmer dominated as well, winning the long jump (4.40 metres) title, 400 metres (1:07.18 minutes) and 200 metres (27.60 seconds). He was second in the 100 metre event to Boadicea’s Darran Skeete (13.67).
The Under-15 girls’ division belonged to Inniss who was victorious in the 100 (13.39 seconds), 200 (27.26 seconds) and 400 (1:00.36 minutes) metre events.
McCollin and Boadicea’s Azara Husbands, were the stand-out performers in the Under-17 division. Husbands captured the 200 (26.05 seconds), 100 (12.83 seconds) and 400 (1:03.12 minutes) in the girls’ section. Meantime, McColin won the 100 (11:56 seconds), 200 (24.95 seconds) and 400 (55.22 seconds) among the boys.
In the field, Aaron Massiah of Anne House ruled supreme with victories in the Under-17 boys high jump (1.80 metres), shot put (9.77 metres), discus throw (30.56 metres). Skye Spencer-Layne also marked her return to athletics with a victory in the Under-20 girls long jump (5.17 metres) for Boadicea.
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