Guyana’s premier junior distance athlete, Matthew McKenzie, was touted to star in yesterday’s 10km road race of this year’s 55th edition of the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships.
However, North West (District 1) athlete, Recky Williams played the role of spoiler.
The Grade Nine (Third Form) Waramuri Secondary School student stormed to an emphatic victory, upsetting the favourite and his experienced rival of North Georgetown (District 11) under the hanging trees of the National Park.
Williams, 15, stopped the clock in a brisk 35 minutes and 56 seconds to run away with the gold. McKenzie was relegated to bronze (36:43) after Delroy Leitch (36:38) of Corentyne (District 6) also played spoiler in the event to snare silver. The starters were closely bunched up all the way to the return point. However at Ocean View Hotel on the way back, Williams and Leitch changed gears leaving McKenzie and the rest of the bunch in their shadows.
Williams then shifted gears again at the entrance of the National Park and stretched his lead on Leitch with every powerful stride. He then went on to cross the line unchallenged.
On the distaff side, Rupununi’s Beverley Ignacio cruised to a comfortable victory ahead of West Coast Berbice’s Delicia Harper and Niocy Anthony (Upper Dem-erara/ Kwakwani) for the event which ran off outside GT&T on Carifesta Avenue, proceeded to UG road and returned to the National Park for the finish. The pint-sized, bare-footed, 16-year-old clad in all white ran across the finish line smiling in 43 minutes and 26 seconds. Harper and McKenzie completed the race in a distant 45 minutes and 34 seconds and 47 minutes and 36 seconds respectively.
The championships continue today at the National Stadium at Providence. (Emmerson Campbell)
