After 21-years St Michael School Cougars became the first school to accomplish the double, at the pulsating 2018 edition of the Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championship held at the National Stadium today.
The last school to achieve that feat was Combermere School in 1997 and today the Martindale’s Road crew not only tallied 310.50 points to retain their boys’ title for a second consecutive year but with Christ Church Foundation School (CCFS), jointly captured the girls’ for the first time with 326 points.
Even though Scotiabank Springer Memorial were in the run, they were made to settle for third with 300 points. Harrison College with 180.50 placed fourth and Burger King Lester Vaughan’s 130 points got them the fifth position.
For the boys’ championship, CCFS totalled 284 points to beat out Harrison College with 263 for second place while Queen’s College with 175 were fourth and St Leonard’s with 162.50 came fifth.
The boys of The St Michael School fuelled by Ensure accomplished their mission of shattering the 4x400m record of 3:13.77 with a new 3:11.95 sensational run thanks to the talented quartet of Kyle Gale, Nathan Fergusson, Mathew Clarke and Antoni Hoyte-Small.
But it was the girls 4x400m showdown between St Michael and CCFS that brought spectators to their feet when Rhea Hoyte ran the race of her life to stave off Rosette Hoyte on the final leg in a collective time of 3:52.40 ahead of the 3:53.46 by the Church Hill girls.
That race was the decider for the girls as CCFS were ahead of St Michael by two points on 316. That performance by Hoyte created the first-ever tie in BSSAC history for the females’ championship.
CCFS set a new time of 51.96 seconds in the Under-13 Girls 4x100m relay and they won the boys in 52.43 but did not come close to the record.
Following his record-breaking performance in the Under-20 Boys 400m, victor ludorum Jonathan Jones (40 individual points) returned to win the Boys 5000m in a time of 17:50.55 but did not come close to erasing the 15:41.58 record set in 2010 by Matthew Wright of Queen’s College.
Victrix ludorum honours went to Mary Fraser of Daryll Jordan with 35 points. She won the 3000m and 1500m yesterday and today in the 800m she clocked 2:18.00 comfortably to take that race from CCFS pair of Chloe Lucas and Rosette Hoyte 2:19.49 and 2:20.72 respectively.
The St Michael School dominated the 400m hurdles in three respective divisions including the Under-20 Girls and Boys Compliments Rhea Hoyte and Nathan Fergusson in what were photo-finish races.
Fergusson featured in the lane five besides current record holder Rasheem Griffith of Harrison College running out of lane six was an exciting showdown. It was sheer heart and determination that gave CARIFTA qualifier Fergusson the 50.97 seconds victory over Griffith 51.09, but he was unable to eclipse the 50.75 seconds record.
Rhea Hoyte of The St Michael School was able to run 61.75 and nip Shonita Brome of Alexandra by a mere four split seconds in 61.79 for second. While in the Under-17 Boys Kyle Gale also from The St Michael School smoked the field, clocking 54.06 seconds for first position ahead of Jaden Callender of Lester Vaughan (55.41) and Aren Spencer (56.44) who was third.
BSSAC record holder in the 100m hurdles Sarah Belle of CCFS took center stage in the Under-17 Girls 300m hurdles by destroying the competition in 44.15 seconds.
The top Under-15 Boy was Caleb Massiah of Harrison College with 36 points and he comfortably won the Under15 Boys 300m hurdles in 41.11 seconds while Maliah Edwards of Springer Memorial with a 29.31 seconds clocking captured the Under-15 Girls.
Josiah Atkin did the sprint double having won the 100m yesterday and returned to take the 200m in 21.62 seconds ahead of The St Michael duo, Mathew Clarke (21.70) and Antoni Hoyte-Small in 22.
Ashlee’ Lowe stamped her authority to take first place in the 200m in 24.15 seconds beating Hannah Connell of CCFS 24.75 and 25.26 by third-place Shemia Odaine.
Darian Clarke of The St Michael School maintained his pace as the fastest Under-17 Boys registering 22.56 seconds on the stop clock. But credit to Jean-Pierre Hinds of CCFS for finishing second in 22.62 and pushing Clarke to the very end.
Revenge was the order of business for Leilani Haddock of CCFS having lost the final of the Under-17 Girls 100m yesterday to Rickyla Fagan of Deighton Griffith. Haddock bolted 25.13 seconds for the gold medal this time around in the 200m leaving Fagan to settle for second in 25.28 seconds and Kamille Gaskin-Griffith in 25.48 held on for third.
Aaliyah Agard of Frederick Smith was in a fast lane of her own as she dismissed the field clocking 12.45 seconds with the closest finisher being Nya Browne of Queen’s College (12.83) and third went to Kishawna Niles of Deighton Griffith in a time of 12.93.
Sean Raphael of Queen’s College expectedly won the Under-15 Boys 100m in 11.64 seconds, ahead of Jeremy Small of Harrison College 11.83 and Jadon Pearce 11.98 third for St Leonard’s Boys’.
The Under-13 Girls 100m was an exciting one between eventual winner Shonte Morris of CCFS leading the field in 13.43 seconds ahead of Under-13 Girls Division champion Skye Spencer- Layne 13.49 and Ciara Piggott of Coleridge and Parry 13.67 for third.
The boys equivalent (Under-13) went to Tyjah Bishop of St Leonard’s running a brisk 13.09 seconds to dismiss St Michael pair of Jaquan Pilgrim 13.11 and Joshua Collymore 13.43.
The top three finishers in the Under-13 Girls 400m pushed each other to the end with Briana Baird registering 62.58 in edging Jahzara Holford of The St Michael School 63.15 and Kelescia Downes of CCFS 63.62 for second and third respectively.
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