-as Upper Demerara maintains big lead
Photos by Emmerson Campbell
Records continued to tumble yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre where the ongoing 59th edition of the Nationals Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships is being staged.
Local teen track stars, Wesley Tyndall, Loneil Marks, Shaquka Tyrell, Attoya Harvey along with teacher, Jonathan Fagundes and many others were in record breaking mode on the penultimate day of the annual championships.
Field athletes, Anisha Gibbons and Teacher, Chenille Bowen were also up to the task of rewriting the record books.
Here are some of the highlights:
Tyndall of North Georgetown completed a sprint double yesterday in record breaking fashion. After winning the marquee 100m event, the 15 year-old who attends Chase’s Academy exploded out of the blocks, ran a sublime curve and stormed further ahead on the home straight to finish in 22.74s in the 200m finals.
The powerfully built Tyndall erased Osa Blair’s old record (22.91s) which was set last year.
Deshanna Skeete (25.12s) also recorded a 100m/200m sprint double, once again edging arch rival, Brianna Charles (25.16s) in another photo finish.
Marks of West Coast Berbice was disqualified in the blue riband 100m final on Wednesday after a false start. He surely used that pent up rage and disappointment in the 200m as he emphatically stormed to victory in 21.36s to turn the tables on Jennis Benjamin who had to settle for second in 22.32s in the Boys 19 and under event.
The long striding Marks smashed the previous one year-old record held by Titus Webster (22.14s).
Tyrell who had won the 800m a day earlier, returned to the track in the 1500m and took another gold but this time she broke Joanna Archer’s record. Archer’s mark set two years ago, was 5:20.26. Tyrell ran 5:03.99 yesterday.
Fagundes also recorded an 800m/1500m double yesterday. Like Tyrell he was more or less racing against the clock. He won that battle. The fan favourite crossed the line in 4:14.55 to smash his old record (4:20.88) set two years ago.
Harvey of West Demerara, broke her own Girls 13 and Under 1500m record lowering the previous mark, by more than 11 seconds. She clocked 5:07.47 to emphatically win the event ahead of Rupununi’s Vannytta Francis (5:14.60) and Upper Demerara’s Hannah Joseph (5:17.39).
Gibbons of East Coast Demerara previously owned the Girls 15 and Under javelin record at 26.64m set last year. Following yesterday’s monster throw of 45.33m last year’s heroics is now a distant memory.
Bowen, owner of numerous field events records in the Teachers 31-40 category once again placed her name in the record books yesterday. She erased her old discus record of 21.27m with a throw of 24.46m.
Meanwhile, following the completion of most of the events yesterday, Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani (District 10) are the runaway leaders 526 with points. District Four trails in second on 309 points. District Five sits in third on 292 points.
The final day of the championships will be highlighted by the 400m individual races, the 4x100m and the prize giving ceremony. Action is set to start at 09:00hrs.
