Linden tightens grip on athletics title

Nov 24, 2016 Sports

---

By Edison Jefford
The National Stadium at Providence became a reservoir of talented student-athletes yesterday as newcomers from across the country put on an impressive show that demanded due attention. But despite such obvious wealth, Upper Demerara/Kwakwani managed to tighten the stranglehold on the track and field title of the National Schools’ Championships.
Seasoned national athletes, Compton Caesar and Daniel Williams ensured maximum points with wins in the Under-20 and 18 100m races to help push Linden to 239.5 points, heading into the penultimate day of competition today.
West Demerara is currently second on 210 points while North West is third on 208 points. Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon is fourth on 171.5 points while Corentyne rounds out the top five on 149 points.
Title contender, North Georgetown is ninth in the athletics contest on 112.5 points, two places up from their 11th position on the first day.
Caesar raced to 10.6 seconds to win the U-20 Boys 100m ahead of West Coast Berbice’s Titus Webster and Bartica’s Carim Chase, who ran 11.13 and 11.14 seconds respectively for second and third.
West Coast Berbice also got among the medals in the female race when Denita Jackson stunned the field in 12.7 seconds. East Coast’s Hazea Clementson (13.0) and South Georgetown’s Alicia Vanderhyden (13.1) were second and third in the race.
Williams then added another gold medal to Linden’s tally in 11.0 seconds for a comfortable win in the Boys’ U-18 100m race. He defeated South Georgetown’s Umkosi Vancooten and the West Coast Berbice’s Disu-d Morrison, who had 11.1 and 11.3 seconds.
Cassie Small edged Toyan Raymond in the Girls’ race, posting 12.40 seconds ahead of Raymond’s 12.43 seconds. West Coast Berbice’s Allesia Grant was third in 12.5 seconds.
West Coast Berbice then snatched their second gold medal of the marquee 100m sprints when Loneil Marks won the U-16 Boys’ race in 11.24 seconds ahead of Corentyne’s Encosie Leitch (11.4) and Nkosie Dazzell (11.5) from Essequibo Islands/West Demerara.
Kenisha Phillips, representing North Georgetown this time around, narrowly escaped Deshanya Skeete in the Girls’ race. Phillips ran 12.1 seconds ahead of Skeete’s 12.2 seconds. South Georgetown’s Tiffauna Garnett (12.5) was third.
Essequibo Islands/West Demerara’s Richard Blake took the U-14 100m title in 12.16 seconds ahead of East Coast Demerara’s Osrick Pellew (12.23) and South Georgetown’s Wesley Tyndall (12.24) respectively.
East Georgetown’s Princess Browne won the Girls’ race in 12.4 seconds ahead of North Georgetown’s Yesinia Andrews (12.6) and South Georgetown’s Briana Charles (12.9) in that order.
East Georgetown snatched another gold medal in the U-12 Boys’ race when David Higgins won in 13.0 seconds ahead of Bartica’s Delmar McCalman and North Georgetown’s Daniel Chabrol who had 13.3 and 13.4 seconds for second and third respectively.
Supporters from the East Bank of Demerara where the venue is located got something to cheer about when Odessa France sprinted to the Girls’ U-12 title in 13.5 seconds. Corentyne’s Shelda Jordan (13.6) was second and Essequibo Islands/West Demerara Keira Duncan (13.7) third in the race.
West Coast Berbice took the U-10 Boys’ race via the efforts of Dwayneol McCammon in 13.9 seconds. Corentyne’s Ewell McDonald was second in 14.0 seconds while East Georgetown’s Gary Nedd (14.2) was third.
Essequibo Islands/West Demerara’s Akayla Martindale took home the Girls’ gold medal in 15.0 seconds ahead of North Georgetown’s Athaliah Hinckson (15.1) and East Georgetown’s Tianna Springer (15.2) respectively.
Corentyne’s Damian Tillakram won the Boys’ U-8 80m in 12.2 seconds ahead of Essequibo Islands/West Demerara’s Jaheim Paul (12.3) and East Coast Demerara’s Anthony Sancho (12.4) in that order.
West Coast Berbice Oshay Roberts won the Girls race in 12.5 seconds while North West’s Jada LaCruz (13.2) and East Bank’s Shekinah Wilson (13.4) was second and third.
In the U-14 Girls’ 800m, Shaquka Tyrell handed Linden even more points with a win in 2:29.7 ahead of North West’s Leah Harris (2:39.7) and Essequibo Islands/West Demerara’s Keliza Smith (2:47.60).
East Coast Demerara’s Joel Williams narrowly escaped the diving Tyrese Wharton from the Corentyne in the Boys’ race to win in 2:18.10. Wharton posted 2:18.20 for second with West Coast Berbice’s Mathew Gordon (2:20.50) third.
Williams’ team-mate, Nicholas Daw won the Boys’ U-16 race in 2:10.30 ahead of Essequibo Islands/West Demerara’s Moses Best (2:12.50) and North West, Daniel Henry (2:12.60). East Coast also took the female title through Kissanna Glen, who posted 2:31.00 with Aaliyah Moore from South Georgetown second in 2:40.20 and East Georgetown’s Jasminie Assannah (2:45.20) finishing third.
U-18 Girls 800m: North Georgetown’s Claudrice McKoy (2:28.50); East Coast Demerara’s Latovja Moore (2:40.30) and North West Sophey David (2:43.00).
U-18 Boys 800m: North Georgetown’s Samuel Lynch (2:02.20); West Coast Berbice’s Okemi Porter (2:04.70); Linden’s Nigel Gonsalves (2:06.80).
U-20 Boys 800m: Corentyne’s Delroy Leitch (2:06.00); New Amsterdam’s Laurindo Prince (2:09.50); Linden’s Hosea Glen (2:10.20).
U-20 Girls 800m: North Georgetown’s Maria Urquhart (2:28.6); Essequibo Islands/West Demerara Kezra Murray (2:33.20); Linden’s Shontel Hinds (2:45.40). The competition continues today at 9am at the national Stadium, Providence.

---

---