HE BEGAN every race to the sound of the starter’s gun.
Still, it’s how Anthonio Mascoll exited these championships that made the most noise.
The star middle-distance runner left with a bang, as the last act for Ellerslie’s lead man couldn’t have followed a better script when Mascoll shared the victor ludorum crown in his final appearance at the Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletic Championships.
It was the perfect result for a flawless performance, which gave him a meet-best 40 points, the same as Lester Vaughan’s Shamar Rock, and a place among the all-time great Ellerslie athletes at school sports’ biggest stage.
Five overall victories. Four individual triumphs. Three records.
Too good to beat.
“This feels really good as this is my last year and I left with a bang,” said a visibly moved Mascoll after completing his third record-breaking feat in the 4×400 metres relay.
“It was pretty rough and extremely tiring, but somehow I made it through today.”
It was making it through the week that was going to present his biggest challenge.
From last week it was clear to all that Mascoll’s schedule was going to be a tough one when he trod out to compete in the gruelling 5 000 metres as his first race.
Victory in that event would’ve been taxing enough for most athletes.
But Mascoll followed that up by smashing his own mark in the 1 500 metres six days later, lowering the record from four minutes, 4.81 seconds to 4:02.32 despite trailing rival Ibrahim Hinds for all but 250 metres of the race.
Then came a punishing 400-metre showdown on the same day, where Mascoll just overpowered teammate Nicholas Deshong on the homestretch to win by less than sixth-tenth of a second.
It was as close to defeat as Mascoll would come all championships, though.
Whatever chance the field had in the 400 went with wind like a blown away lotto ticket, as Mascoll blew away the competition in the 800 metres to set another new mark with a time of 1:52.41.
Finding a drum at the Stadium was easier than locating Mascoll’s closest rival.
However, true to form he saved the best for last, anchoring Ellerslie’s 4×400 relay team to their second successive record in as many inter-school sports meets on the very last day.
Not as if that team already doesn’t have its fair share of marks already.
“I set out to break three records and I came and did it,” laughed a relieved Mascoll moments after the run.
“But let me not say me, because our relay team did it for me,” he added.
