Champions Lyssons surge to lead in National Championships
Defending champions Lyssons Primary of St Thomas surged to a massive 24-point lead after 22 finals entering the final day of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits National Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Friday.
Lyssons — the Eastern champion — amassed 110 points well clear of Central winners Spanish Town Primary of St Catherine in second on 86 points.
Naggo Head and Greater Portmore, also of St Catherine, are third and fourth with 84 and 77 points, respectively. St Andrew’s Harbour View Primary round out the top five with 57 points.
On a day when news broke that Jamaican star Christopher Taylor faces a possible ban from the sports, 11-year-old Daniel Glaves of Red Hills Road Primary equalled his 300m record of 41.81 set in 2011. Mercado Williams of Naggo Head Primary was second in 42.62 ahead of Chidane Gayle of Lyssons in 43.63.
It was one of two records on the day as Sanique Watt of John Mills broke the girls’ high jump open with a leap of 1.49m in an exciting showdown with Afharia Anderson of Spanish Town who was second with 1.47m. Zodieon Baker of Lyssons was third with 1.45m.
Lyssons got off to a brilliant start copping 16 points in the first final of the day which was the girls’ cricket ball throw courtesy of Taheisha Brown (44.50m) and Aliyhana Alford (43.35m), who were first and second, respectively. Jada Adlam of Harbour View was third with 41.22m.
In the much-anticipated clash in the boys’ Class One 100m between Jevaney Findlay of Spanish Town and Omeco Henclewood of Holy Rosary didn’t materialise as Henclewood was disqualified for false starting.
But the impressive Findlay destroyed the field clocking 12.12 (-1.7 mps) and was just outside the record of 11.90 held by Roje Fearon of St Francis since 2010. Jahvado Samuels of Barracks Road was second in 12.86 with Ishmael Wilkins of Howard Cooke Primary third in 12.93.
St Patrick’s Danelia Clarke won the girls’ Class One 100m in 12.90 (-1.3). Rihanna Scott of Rock Hall Primary was second in 12.97 with Half-Way-Tree’s Chelseann Samuels third in 12.98 in a close and exciting race.
Eric Edwards of Barracks Road won the Boys Class One 400m in 58.02 ahead of Malrick Thomas of Spanish Town with 58.23. Khieme Campbell of St Catherine finished third in 58.71.
