A surprising twist of events left National junior sprinter Kevin Haynes out of the male U- 20 100m of this year’s National Secondary schools Championships after he failed to qualify in yesterday’s Champion of Champions athletics meet held at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda.
In a bizarre men’s Under-20 100m final, the 18-year-old Haynes led for eighty metres but then carelessly throttled down and dipped at what he thought was the finish line some 15 metres away from the actual end of the race.
Haynes’s oversight caused Kenneth Semple to calmly run away with the victory ahead of Triston Joseph.
Third place went to Stephen Harris of St. Stanislaus College while a disappointed Kevin Haynes did not bother to finish the race.
Haynes does not have a good history at this particular ground. He was defeated by Semple and Joseph at the National championships last year after making another mistake at the beginning of the race.
Semple, formally of East Coast district, will represent North Georgetown district at the Nationals since he is presently attending the Georgetown Technical Institute along with Triston Joseph, formerly of East Georgetown district. He should have no problem in reclaiming his 100m title since he has already overcome his major competitors in what was a star-studded Champion of champions 100m match-up.
The first race of the day was the under -16 3000m race which was won by Devon Barrington of St. John’s College. Barrington ran a tactically sound race.
Ivelaw Christian of Brickdam Secondary finished second.
Queen’s College’s under the radar, star Carlwyn Collins got his long awaited revenge in the 400m when he destroyed Jumoke David who edged him in a controversial finish at this event last year.
The U-20 Girls 100m was convincingly won by Nadine Rodrigues of St John’s College who defeated her school mate Tenisha Punch for the second time in two weeks. Third place went to Jaanie Cumberbatch who looked impressive during her victory in the earlier heats.
Dennis Horatio made an auspicious return to the track for St. John’s College when he outsprinted Kiev Chesney to win the 1500m while Ashley Lopes came out of nowhere to upset Shanna Thornhill in the U-16 800m. Thornhill, however, had already secured her seat on the bus to the Nationals with a dominant win in the 400m U-16 event earlier in the day.
Jamica Garnett successfully defended her 1500m title and so did Beverly Selman of St. Roses High school, in the 200m female teacher race.
Champion of Champions will continue today at the same venue from 08:30h to finish the remaining events on yesterday’ programme as well as today’s scheduled events. The much anticipated 4x4oom relay will be held early this afternoon but may give officials a challenge in the allocation of runners since it is a 250m track.
