Sprinters Nurse and Brewster chasing history

By Nathan Goddard-McCarthy

Aniya Nurse is knocking on the door of one of the oldest records in the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships (BSSAC).

Nurse, a former student of the Alleyne School who now represents the St Michael School, thought she had finally broken the elusive Under-20 girls’ 100m record of 11.64 seconds, set by Ellerslie School’s Yolande Straughn back in 1985, on the opening day of action in the Dasani Frank Blackman and Sada Williams zone.

However, her time of 11.41 seconds was deemed to have been assisted by a tailwind of 5.4m/s, well over the legal amount of 2.0m/s. 

For the entire 2026 season, Nurse has been consistently running in the 11.5 region, improving her personal best to 11.53 seconds. 

In the 200m on Friday’s second and final day, she comfortably advanced with the fastest time of 24.03 which was also a zonal record. 

In an interview with Barbados TODAY on Friday, Nurse revealed she was eyeing the 41-year-old record.

“My races so far have been pretty good, I really wanted to focus on the execution and the form and I think I did that.

“My goals for BSSAC this year are to finish healthy and to break the 100m record,” she said.

Nurse has also set her sights on winning a medal at next month’s CARIFTA Games.  

“I would really like to go to the World Under-20 Championships and one day become an Olympian or world champion,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Lodge School’s Jahkye Brewster has been the standout sprinter among the Under-20 boys. 

Jahkye Brewster of the Lodge School (left). (Photo Credit: Nathan Goddard-McCarthy)

Training under the tutelage of Glen Williams and Juquan Beckles at Extreme Velocity, he has steadily improved throughout the season. That progress was seen at the recently concluded AAB National Junior Championships, where he clocked a new personal best of 10.56 seconds in the 100 metres. 

Brewster was in cruise control during his 100m and 200m races, winning both in 10.77 and 22.00 respectively, to advance with the fastest times in the zone. 

Last year at the CARIFTA Games he narrowly missed out on both sprint finals, but was able to help Barbados to a bronze medal in the Under-17 boys’ 4x400m relay. 

During an interview with Barbados TODAY Brewster said he had one goal in mind.

“I would really like to break the 200m record. The races I ran were alright, I got a bit unlucky with the wind but I am happy with it.

“This year at CARIFTA I plan to make the finals and get a medal… My other goals are to become a pro athlete and make the Olympics,” Brewster said.