The hot, humid conditions at the Providence National Stadium was ideal for breaking records and the high school stars of Track and Field did not disappoint.
Half milers, Jomal Johnson and Jeremy Garrett shattered records and the sprinters in the marque 100m put on heart stopping
performances on the second day of competition of the 53rd Guyana Teacher’s Union/Ministry of Education (MOE) National School’s Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships.
Johnson, of District 10, led wire-to-wire in the under 16 event but kicked clear of his trailing rivals in the final 150m and clocked a record time of 2:04.01s to erase Ricardo Martin’s 2:05.01s set at the same venue in 2007.
The Lindener led Anfernee Headecker of District 11 (2:06.05s) and Ruel Chester from District Five (2:09.0s) onto the podium.
Dexroy Nestor under-14 800m record set in 2007 was also shattered by a second when Garrett of District 13 took charge of the race from the smoke of the pistol and increased his lead with every powerful stride.
Garrett’s used his vicious kick and internal fortitude in the last lap to win the event in 2:12.08s almost six-seconds ahead of District 12’s Nicholas Walker.
District’s 16, Nkosi Dazzell was a distant third. He recorded two minutes and 24 seconds for the race.
Cassie George (under-16, District 10), Andrea Foster (under-18, District Four), Ornesto Thomas (under-18, District Four), Shenika Chapman (under-20, District 10) and Rondel Austin (under-20, District Three), were also sporting precious metal after winning their 800m events.
Much of the Track and Field activity was devoted to paring down the fields during various qualifying rounds, but the finals of the 800m and athletics’ blue riband event, the 100 metres were decided.
The highlight of the 100 metre events came when the meet’s fastest man, Kevin Abbensetts set the track ablaze by equalling Julian Edmonds’ (10.6s) 21-year-old record in the under-20 final.
The muscular District 11 athlete powered out of the blocks and produced a strong finish to hold off a late surge by District 13‘s Selwin Foster (11.0s) and District Five’s Rennick Burnette (11.2).
Under-18 sprint ace, Jason Yaw (10.8) was just off Chavez Ageday’s record (10.7s) which was recorded three year’s ago.
The tall District Four star athlete led District 11’s Arinze Chance (11.0s) and Mark Wronge (11.2s) of District Six onto the podium in one of the most anticipated events of the meet.
District 11’s Jevina Sampson who clocked 12.4s was also a shade off of Deja Smartt’s under-16 record (12.3s) which was set last year.
The pint sized Christ Church pupil led from the smoke of the pistol, held her drive phase and kept her formation throughout final 50m to outpace District 12’s Natrina Hooper (12.9s) and District Five’s Denita Jackson (13.0s).
Smartt picked up right where she left off last year, storming to the top of the podium in the under-18 girls final (12.5s) ahead of District Two’s Nadisha Gittens (13.0s) and District 12’s Mearisha Carter (13.1s).
District 10‘s Shannon Griffith (under-20) and Compton Caesar (under-16) also won gold medals in the marque sprint event.
The first day of competition included swimming, the 10km road races and the cycling road races.
Today action gets under way at 09:00hrs and will be highlighted with the final of the 200m sprints as well as cycling and field events.
Abbensetts, Yaw, Caesar, Smartt , Griffith and Sampson, will all be aiming to secure sprint doubles.
Notes: After 59 Track and Field finals, District 10 is ahead on 340.5 points followed by the defending champions District 11 on 204.5 points.
District 15 has also earned 204.5 points so far.
