It was a jamboree of joy for jubilant The Michael School athletes, students, parents and well-wishers yesterday evening as they celebrated the coveted double crown in the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championships (BSSAC).
But defending queens Christ Church Foundation also basked in the glory following a historic tie for the girls title with St Michael at the National Stadium, as both schools amazingly ended with 326 points.
Whereas St Michael comfortably won the boys’ crown outright with 284.5 points with Foundation second on 261, their girls sensationally snatched a share of the spoils with a thrilling triumph in their final event – the Open Girls’ 4×400-metre relay.
Harrison College were the first to achieve a BSSAC double, capturing both the boys and girls titles for three consecutive years in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Combermere were the only other double-crowned champions in 1997.
It was a tension-filled atmosphere with spectators standing under the tents on the Randolph Field Velodrome and others moving forward to the edge of the barricades to grab every vantage position as Foundation, who went into that race leading by two points, needed to win to solely capture the girls’ title.
On the other hand, with 12 points for a victory and ten for second place, St Michael had to win to draw level on points as the two schools were the overwhelming favourites to land the first two positions in the race.
St Michael took an early lead on the first leg through a courageous run from sprinter Ashlee Lowe. They were never caught on any of the other three legs even though the Foundation runners, especially the persevering Chloe Lucas and the lion-hearted Hannah Connell were in hot pursuit.
Foundation basking in the glory of winning the girls’ title. (Picture by Kenmore Bynoe.)
In the end, the Christ Church school had to settle for second place as St Michael’s indomitable anchor runner Rhea Hoyte unwaveringly staved off a determined challenge from her cousin, Rosette Hoyte of Foundation.
It was St Michael’s first BSSAC girls’ title since 1987 after also finishing with the most points among the girls in 1985 and 1986 and the athletes celebrated in style, dancing and singing while taking a victory lap around the track.
For Foundation, it was the third consecutive year they had won the girls’ crown after first winning in 1989 while 16-time queens, Springer Memorial deservingly finished third on exactly 300 points.
There was no such drama in the boys’ race as St Michael boys sealed their second straight title with a record-breaking winning performance of 3:11.95 minutes in the Open 4×400-metre relay. (EZS)
