British Guiana ran away winners of 1959 West Indies track and field championship

May 01, 2016 Sports

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Statistician Charwayne Walker this week takes a look back at the 1959 athletics championship held here in Guyana, then British Guiana.
British Guiana in true host country tradition emerged champions at Bourda in the

third West Indies track and field championship after Jamaica and Trinidad had done the same in their backyards in the preceding years. Nine records were rubbed off and one equaled as the homesters grabbed a gunny hack of medals including fourteen gold and totaling a hundred and seventeen points in a runaway victory from Jamaica who had compiled ninety one points and Trinidad eighty one points. Antigua with ten points, Barbados with seven points and Grenada with three points were the only other territories to registered. St. Lucia and Dominica with their one man teams failed to get off the mark.
Five records were broken on the opening day. The first was eclipsed in the long jump pit in Providence when the lanky broad shouldered Antiguan Lester Bird carried his limbs over a distance of twenty four feet, seven and a half inches, six inches further than Jamaican Paul Foremans 1957 mark. Lester Bird later became Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda.
British Guiana policeman shattered the shot put mark when he heaved the ton ball forty four feet eleven inches, eclipsing Trinidadian C. Derrick’s 1958 mark of forty two feet eight and a quarter inch. Another British Guiana policeman Ralph Gomes eclipsed Trinidad’s P. Bonair fifteen hundred meters record of three minutes fifty six point 2 seconds. Gomes time was three minutes fifty four point seven seconds.
Jamaican George Kerr set the fifth record of the opening day in the four hundred meters with a time of forty six point eight seconds. Mel Spence and Cliff Bertrand shared the home record of forty seven point three seconds. Fellow Jamaicans twin brothers Mel and Malcolm Spence finished second and third to Kerr. British Guiana had a clean sweep in the women two hundred meters. Myrna Fawcett winning from compatriots Evan Smith and Wilma Parris. The time was twenty five point two seconds. In the ten thousand meters, George Depeana out ran his compatriots Harry Prowell and Moses Dawarka.
Men two hundred finals: Wilton Jackson gold for Trinidad, Keith Gardner, Jamaica silver and Mike Agostine, the time was twenty one point four seconds.
Women hundred meter finals- Myrna Fawcett British Guiana gold, the time was twelve point two seconds. Silver was Evan Smith for British Guiana, Claudette Masdammer bronze for British Guiana.
Half marathon time: thirty two point two seconds Moses Dawarka gold British Guiana, Joe Davis silver British Guiana, Clem Fields bronze British Guiana.
Fifteen hundred meters final: gold, Ralph Gomes British Guiana, three minutes fifty four point seven seconds; silver Malcolm Perry British Guiana, bronze R. Thomas Trinidad.
Hundred meters men finals- Mike Agostine, gold, Trinidad at ten point four seconds; silver D. Johnson Jamaica, bronze, Keith Gardner Jamaica.
Five thousand meters – George Depeana gold British Guiana, time was fifteen minutes two seconds; silver Harry Prowell British Guiana, bronze, Glendon Charles Trinidad.
Eight hundred meters hurdles women: Wilma Parris, gold British Guiana, time thirteen seconds; silver P. Joseph Trinidad, bronze E. Davis Antigua.
Long jump women: gold, Y. Laidlow Jamaica; silver, Claudette Masdammer British Guiana, bronze Wilma Parris British Guiana.
Long jump men: gold, Lester Bird Antigua; silver, D. Taylor Jamaica, bronze, Clayton Jamaica.
Five thousand meters steeple chase: gold, Clem Fields British Guiana; silver, R. Williams British Guiana, bronze, Glendon Charles Trinidad.
Ten thousand meters: George Depeana, gold, British Guiana, silver, Harry Prowel British Guiana, bronze, Moses Dawarka British Guiana.
Four hundred meters final: George Kerr, gold, Jamaica, silver, Malcolm Spence Jamaica, bronze, Mel Spence Jamaica.
Shot Put: Carl Fraser, gold, British Guiana, distance forty four feet eleven inches, silver, M. Bernard Jamaica, bronze, T. Summers Jamaica.
Women high jump: gold, Brenda Archer British Guiana, distance was four feet ten inches, silver, S. Burgess Jamaica, bronze E. Davis Antigua.
Pole Vault: gold, R Morris Jamaica, time eleven feet eleven and a half inches, silver, Gregory Hinckson Trinidad, a Jamaican won the bronze medal.
How the medals went:
British Guiana – 14 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze.
Jamaica- 15 gold, 6 silver and 13 bronze
Trinidad – 5 gold, 20 silver, 5 bronze
Antigua – 1 gold, 2 bronze
Barbados – 1 gold, 1 bronze
Grenada – 1 bronze
The 1959 victorious British Guiana track and field team:
George Depeana – Captain
Harry Prowel
Moses Dawarka
Clem Fields
Cliff Fields
Derrick Bull Burnett
Claudette Masdammer
Wilma Parris
Myrna Fawcette
Brenda Archer
Ralph Gomes
Carl Fraser
Malcolm Perry
Rocky McPherson
H Griffith
L Cummings
H. A Hope
R. Dash
Douglas Oliver Niles
P. C Greene
E. Solomon
G. Mars
T. Seth
Joe Davis
U. Williams
P. C Fraser
O. Simon
G. Wilson
I. Steele
H. A. McAllister
W. Ferrel
C. Murray
P.C Francois
R. Spellen
Dr. E Gorr
Manager Victor Li

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