CLASS ACTS at bssac

Mary Fraser of Daryll Jordan Secondary and Layla Haynes of Harrison College started the spikes turning in the Girls’ Open 3000m, in what was a day of top class performances on Day 1 of the Finals of the Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships (BSSAC).

It was a true battle of the seasoned athlete versus the up-and-coming youngster.

Austin Sealy Award winner and CARIFTA triple gold medalist Mary Fraser has had her ups and downs since 2015, but she was ready and well able to show her fellow competitors, the spectators at the National Stadium and her supporters that she still has what it takes to be the best.

During the 3000 metres, Haynes was out front ahead of the pack cruising until the bell lap.

Fraser usually shifts gears with 150m left, but after the receiving a cup at the water station with 250m to run, she pushed for home and Haynes went with her. Though side by side at the 120m mark, 13-year-old Haynes took the lead by 100m, but 19-year-old Fraser was far from finished.

She had more left in the tank and laid her CARIFTA class on the track, passing Haynes in the final 60m and ran home to gold in 11:04.01 minutes. Haynes finished in a time of 11:04.98 and third place went to Daesha Braithwaite of Foundation who crossed the line in 11:47.55 minutes.

Fraser went on to win the U-20 Girls’ 1500m in 5:07.11 minutes; while Haynes took the gold medal in the U-15 Girls 800m with a time of 2:28.86 mins.

Dominque Wood of Christ Church Foundation and Samiya Dell of St. Michael’s started the day in the field by taking the first two Girls field finals. Wood leapt to 5.62m in the U17 Girls Long Jump to claim gold.

Zariah Greaves of Scotiabank Springer was second with 5.35m and Leilani Haddock, also of Foundation, won the bronze after jumping 5.19m. Dell cleared 1.40m in the Girls U13 High Jump for the gold medal followed by Kalia Goodridge of Springer in second and Jolie Phillips of St. Michael's in third, having both cleared 1.31m.

Upsets also happened as well on the track. Rickyla Fagan of Deighton Griffith took down Leilani Haddock of Foundation in a down to the wire ending to the U17 Girls 100m. Haddock had the lead until the final 5 meters when strong finishing Fagan passed her to the gold. Fagan clocked 12.36 seconds while Haddock took silver in 12.41. Zariah Greaves of Springer Memorial was third with 12.54.

Cougars Ashlee Lowe was looking to have an upset of her own against Hannahh Connell of Foundation. She did not have the best start however and had to chase down the former CARIFTA athlete Connell. It was a photo finish but Connell held on for the 11.95 winning time and Lowe stopped the clock in 11.99 seconds, with William s Metals Alleyne s Shemia Odaine finishing third in 12.16. Connell also had to fight for the gold in the U20 Girls 100m Hurdles. She clocked 15.39 seconds to edge Sierra Coward of Springer with 15.44 seconds and Azriel Chadderton of Foundation finished in 15.54 seconds for the bronze medal.

Maliah Edwards of Springer won gold in the Junior Girls 75m Hurdles in 12.61 seconds, Nathan Fergusson of St. Michael’s Cougars won the U20 Boys 110m Hurdles easily in 14.41 seconds and Ialpha Nedd of St. George Secondary had the gold medal run of 15.38 in the U17 Boys 110m Hurdles.

Darian Clarke of St. Michael’s had a horrible start to the U17 Boys 100m and had to hold his nerve and his form to work his way back up through the field to clock a sub 11 second time of 10.99 seconds for the gold medal. Jean-Pierre Hinds had been leading most of the race but he had to settle for silver with 11.06 seconds and Mikhail Carvalho of Combermere took bronze with 11.21. Josiah Atkins of Foundation is officially the fastest male secondary sprinter after the closest finish of the 100m sprints. He won by 1/100th of a second with a time 10.67 seconds over Julian Forde of Harrison College with a time of 10.68. Matthew Clarke was third in a time of 10.75 seconds.

Nathan Crawford-Wallis of Foundation won the U17 Long Jump with a 6.84m effort. Silver went to Dejuan Walcott of Lodge with 6.67m and bronze to Saviola Thomas of Foundation with 6.46m.

The dominant queens of track and field Scotiabank Springer Memorial are leading the Girls with 185 points and last years Girls winners Christ Church Foundation are a close second on 181 going into today. St. Michael’s Cougars are in third with 168, Harrison College in fourth on 105.50 and Lester Vaughan School are in fifth with 73 points. For the Boys, with 139 points, the defending champions St. Michael’s are in front going into the final day of 2018 Powerade BSSAC. Foundation sit in second with 123.50 and Harrison College in third on 87 points. The last two rounding out the top five are Williams Metals Alleyne School on 80 and St. Leonards with 69 points respectively. (AS)