Set E have relegated their rivals to nothing more than bridesmaids again.
It was déjà vu in Waterford, as Set B (Red) had to settle for yet another second-place finish after Set E (Purple) successfully defended their sports crown at Combermere’s inter-house meet yesterday.
Led by Shauna Jones’ dominant victrix ludorum performance, the perennial champs copped their latest sports title after ending the day with 688 points – 33 better than age-old adversaries Set B.
It capped a second successive runner-up finish for Red, who’ve now placed an all too familiar second in the points table for six of the last nine years following victories in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Set D (Green) were third again with 608 points while Set F (Orange) improved from last year’s cellar position to finish fourth on 536.
Set A (Blue) and Set C (Yellow) brought up the rear with 523 and 494 points respectively.
Those houses were no different from most of the Division 1 girls, who just ended up chasing Jones for much of the meet in a surreal 95-point performance not seen since the days of CARIFTA medallist Ramarco Thompson.
Doing most of her damage in the field and distance events, Jones wound up winning the 1 500 (6:47.53) and 3 000 metres (15:07.47), along with the high jump (1.36 metres), long jump (4.28), triple jump (9.16) and javelin.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jones copped silver in the 200, 400 and 800 before coming third in the 100 metres.
And she wasn’t Set E’s only major big day horse, as Delano Thomas took the top honours in Division 3 Boys with 48 points after winning the 100, 200 and long jump. He added a silver and bronze in the 400 and 800 metres respectively.
Teammate Mikhail Carvalho had a super performance of his own while draped in a purple cape during his 100 and 200-metre victories in the Division 2 Boys.
Yet that had nothing on Set A’s Agape Foster, who easily repeated as victor ludorum following impressive wins in the Division 1 Boys’ 800 (2:00.09), 1 500 (4:50.04), high jump (1.75), triple jump (13.53) and javelin (40.20).
Foster returned to finish second in the 5 000 and third in the 400 and long jump to end with 83 points.
He was ably assisted by sprint champ Ayo Toppin, who took both the 200 (23.17) and 400 (53.59).
Set B’s former victrix ludorum Misha Nelson also had quite the showing after winning the 800, high jump (1.36), long jump (4.58), triple jump (9.48) and shot put en route to 78 points in the Division 2 Girls.
Nelson got further acclaim by placing second in the 200 and 1 500 after finishing third in both the 100 and 400 metres.
She was just one of three age group champions for Set B, who accounted for the Division 3 Girls title via Jada Hinds’ victories in the 100, high jump and shot put.
However, she had to share the top spot with Tonique Fleming after the Set C queen also amassed 45 points by taking the long jump and javelin. Fleming returned to place second in the 200 and 800 following a third-place showing in the 100.
Division 2 king Nathan Goddard-McCarty was Set B’s other age group winner following victories in the 400, 800 and 1 500 metres.
Set D’s Teon Haynes came out on top in the Division 4 category by winning the 100, 200 and long jump while Kelia Bentham of Set F took the girls’ equivalent with gold medal showings in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump. (JM)
