Track and field coach Gabriel Burnett has lauded The St Michael School’s recent participation at the 2024 Panthers Invitational Classic in the United States, describing the tour as a “resounding success” after three of his athletes secured full athletic scholarships to Benedict College in South Carolina.
The scholarship recipients include Skye Spencer-Layne, a recent graduate of The St Michael School, along with Gabriel Pinder and Aaron Massiah, both of whom are set to represent Barbados at this year’s CARIFTA Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Burnett expressed pride in his athletes’ performances at the 14th edition of the meet, which was undertaken in collaboration with Springer Memorial School.
“This tour was highly successful,” Burnett said. “We can only ask athletes to perform at their best, and many of them recorded personal and seasonal bests. The highlight for the team was getting the chance to speak with Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion Allen Johnson. That opportunity alone was a tremendous learning experience. The scholarships were the ultimate goal, and I’m proud we achieved that.”
The young athletes also met two-time Olympic silver medallist Terrence Trammell, and shone brightly on the track and field. Aaron Massiah set new meet records in both the long jump and triple jump, while Shania Mottley—another athlete named to Barbados’ 2025 CARIFTA team—set a new high jump record. (JC)
