THE BARBADOS RELAY FAIR returned to the Stadium and Springer Memorial went back to their winning ways.
Up to Press time, Inter-school sports’ 14-time queens seemed on course for yet another team title at the country’s premier relay series after topping the girls’ standings up to the completion of the 4×100 events.
This time it wasn’t without a challenge, though, as the fast-rising Christ Church Foundation gave a glimpse of what is certain to come this season through a very potent Under-13 squad.
Led by promising first-formers Jalia Denny and Rishaunna Padmore, the Church Hill lasses took two events in impressive fashion, including the Under-13 1 000 metres in a record-setting clocking of two minutes, 33.10 seconds.
They weren’t that far off of the 4×100 mark either after mowing down the field in 54.89 seconds to relegate Springer to second in those timed finals.
But there wasn’t much else Springer lost out on following rather predictable wins in the Under-15 1 600 medley (4:35.59), the Under-15 4×100 (51.60), the Under-17 4×100 (49.31) and the Under-20 4×100 (no time available).
Winmalecia Bowen added the Open discus title (33.51 metres) to the school’s tally for good measure before Springer swept the top three positions in the Open high jump through winner Jalicia Neil (1.55 metres), Shonte Seale (1.55) and Demisha King (1.50).
Last year’s champions The Lodge School found themselves 12 points behind leaders Lester Vaughan entering into the evening programme which featured the longer relay events.
The Cane Garden lads were competitive in all the divisions, although their strength was clearly in the Under-17 category with the likes of CARIFTA gold medallist Rivaldo Leacock, Kevin Briggs, Akil Alleyne and Stephen Cadogan-Caesar. The squad went on to break a record by clocking 3:43.52 in the 1 600 sprint medley.
Their Under-13 quartet of Matthew Waithe, Keril Pierre, Surav Brathwaite and Nico Harper placed inside the top three all day.
The Lodge did have their moments of glory, especially in the Under-15 1 600 metres (4:10.72) and the Under-13 1 000 sprint medley (2:34.73).
Up to Press time, Queen’s College Under-13 boys’ 4×100 relay squad (52.17) had set the only other record on the day, while St Stephen’s and Luther Thorne were the top primary schools in the girls’ and boys’ categories, respectively.
Provisional pointsGirls: 1. Springer Memorial 43, 2. Foundation?School 33, 3. Freedom?Striders 30, 3. The St Michael School 30, 5. The Lodge School 25Boys: 1. The Lester Vaughan School 50, 2. The Lodge School 38, 3. St Leonard’s Boys’ 31, 4. Luther Thorne 29, 5. Foundation?School 25
