Latest update January 17th, 2025 6:30 AM
District 10 holds slim lead ahead of District 3
– Smith, Newton shatter 100m record
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur News – Blessed with perfect weather for track and field, athletes soaked up the sun’s energy and produced record-shattering performances yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre.
When the sun set, and the activities ended, District 10 will head into the penultimate day of the National Schools Championships with a slim lead ahead of West Demerara (District 3).
According to official results, through 136 events at the country’s lone synthetic track facility, defending champions Upper Demerara/Kwakwani scored 237 points, while West Demerara is on 225 points.
Equalling the record! District 15’s Raulston Downer caught in the act, equalling the National Schools Championships’ Boys U20 High Jump Record. (Rawle Toney photo)
District 4, East Coast Demerara, sits in the third position with 203 points, District 15 (New Amsterdam/Canje) with 192 points, District 6, Corentyne 173 points and District 11 in the sixth position with 154 points.
RECORDS TUMBLE!
Records were meant to be broken says the age-old saying, and it was exemplified last evening, especially in the ‘Blue Ribband’ event where some national athletes left their mark on the championships.
First up, Keliza Smith of District 3 ran 12.03s to not only win the Girls U20 100m but also replaces East Georgetown’s Toyan Raymond’s 2017 record of 12.21s.
Kwashiann Isaacs (Upper Dem Kwakwani) was second, running 13.60s, and Kenisha Green (East Bank Demerara) settled for third (13.83s).
Over in the Boys U20 100m final, West Coast Berbice’s Angus Lynch broke the record in the preliminary round when he finished ahead of the competition in 10.89s.
Keliza Smith (#366) powering home to win the Girls U20 100m finals and setting a new National Schools Championships record.
The record previously belonged to Titus Webster, also from West Coast Berbice (10.94s).
Lynch went on to win the finals in 11.02s, beating Kewsi Tumbler (11.14s) of East Coast Demerara into second place, and District 11’s Wesley Tyndall was third (11.23s).
Not to be outdone, Ezekiel Newton, one of Guyana’s most promising sprinters, stopped the clock in 10.62s in the Prelims of the Boys U18 category to set a new National Schools Champion record.
He erased former Champion athlete from District 10, Daniel Williams’ time of 10:65s, set in 2017.
Newtown, representing East Coast Demerara (District 4), went on to win the finals in 10.79s. Omar James (District 10) finished second in 11.01s, and Jaheel Cornette (East Bank Demerara) crossed the line third in 11.12s.
Raulston Downer, from District 15, was superb on the mats during the Boys U20 High Jump, where he did well enough to equal Okemi Porter’s 2018 record of 1.79m.
National football player Matrim Martin, who also plays with West Demerara League champions, Slingerz FC, showed his class on the track when he won the Boys U18 800m finals.
Ezekiel Newton (#435) blazing down the track to win the Boys U20 100m final at the National Schools Championships. He also broke the games’ record in the event.
Martin hails from Region 9, but thanks to football he’s based in the city. The Chase Academy student representing District 11 finished the race in two minutes, 4.73s (2:04.73).
West Demerara’s Samuel Booker was second (2:05.34), and third place was picked up by Leston Lovell of District 6 (2:07.45).
Simeon Solomon of North Georgetown (1:59.73) won the Boys U20 800m, Jordon Bagot the Corentyne (2:03.79) was second and Akand Vammaalson (East Coast Demerara finished third (2:05.32).
Other notable performances came from Noriann King of Upper Demerara/Kwakwani in the Girls U20 Discus (30.77m) and Ranett Liverpool from the New Amsterdam/Canje district, who took the Girls U18 Discus (26.44m).
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