GIBSON Relays record-breakers Tanice Barnett of Royalty Track Club and St Jago High's mile relay team collected their cash prizes of J$250,000 each at a Gatorade-sponsored function at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel yesterday.

It was the second time Barnett and St Jago were sharing the Gatorade record-breakers' award after being among the 13 winners who shared the inaugural pool of $250,000 last year.

Gatorade recordbreakers at this year's Gibson Relays (R-L) Yohan Blake, Andre Walsh, Nickel Ashmeade, Tanice Barnett, Riker Hylton and Adolphus Nevers share the moment with Denise Dixon of Pepsi Jamaica at the Pegasus Hotel yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Barnett, who posted 5 minutes, 04.20secs to erase her one-year-old meet record of 5:05.48secs in the 1600 metres at the 32nd staging of the Relays in February, was elated to have won a share of the prize in consecutive years.

"It feels pretty good because the hard work in training actually paid off," the Lloyd Clarke-conditioned athlete told the Observer.

St Jago's team of Riker Hylton, Nickel Ashmede, Adolphus Nevers and Yohan Blake earned their share of the bounty after clocking 3 minutes, 08.32secs to better Kingston College's one-year-old record of 3:09.22 in the 4x400m.

St Jago's coach, Danny Hawthorne, praised his charges, who also won the Penn Relays title last month.

"It's a very, very good feeling to know that the guys did it last year (in the 4x100) and came back... and... repeated it (in the 4x400) in an even more fashionable style," Hawthorne told the Observer.
"I just want to wish them well and let them continue, not only in the field of sport, but in their academic pursuits as well," the veteran coach added.

The Gatorade record-breakers' programme, which was introduced by Pepsi Cola Jamaica in 2007, forms a part of that company's effort to continue Jamaica's heritage of outstanding athletics performance.
Denise Dixon, marketing manager of Pepsi, told the Observer while they cannot promise an increase in the prize pool, the Gatorade award will continue for at least another year.

"I can't speak to that right now in terms of a figure, but it certainly won't be less than $500,000," Dixon explained.

"At this point we'll commit that it (prize pool) will be equivalent to what it was this year, but we always look for other avenues to support the sport," she added, noting that her company would be meeting with chairman of the Gibson organising committee, Teddy McCook, to see what the needs are for next year's staging.

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