ANDREA BLACKETT’S name isn’t the only one constantly adorning Zone 2.
It was business as usual in Pine Hill National Primary Schools’ Athletic Champion-ships’ most predictable division yesterday, as St Alban’s and Selah both completed the three-peat by successfully defending their girls’ and boys’ titles at the National Stadium.
This was a tale of two championships, though, with Selah barely missing out on doing the double, having gone down to the wire to lose out in the girls’ race by just two points.
The overall title actually came down to the final girls’ race – the Under-13 Girls’ 4×100 relay – where St Alban’s needed to finish at least two places ahead of their rivals to retain the crown.
In the end, they did just that, winning silver behind the team of Aliah Cox, Ashley St Juste-King, Zoya Badenock and Sheda Bryan, while Selah missed out on a podium finish – and a chance at history.
St Alban’s totalled 172 points, two more than Selah and a further 65 more than third-placed St Joseph (107). St John’s (105) and Welches (104) rounded out the top five in what proved to be a nail-biting finish for spots No. 3 through 5.
There wasn’t anything thrilling about the boys’ title chase, however.
What Loticia Carmichael and company couldn’t do in one day’s work, the boys effectively wrapped up before lunch, tallying a meet best 306 points to beat surprise second-place finishers St Cyprian’s (120) by a considerable distance.
Sparked by the efforts of victor ludorum Dejuan Toppin, Selah had already led by as many as 50 points over then contenders Ellerton well before the interval.
And the margin only widened each time Toppin, Romario Harewood, Deshawn Toppin, and Giovonte Depeiza took the track or the field – so much so that Selah could’ve refused to enter relay teams and still win by nearly 100 points.
But they did anyway, sweeping all four team events to complete their assault on the boys’ division.
The victor ludorum, who also took the Under-9 category, finished with a meet-high 30 points, after winning the 150 metres (23.02 seconds) and both the discus (43.77 metres) and long jump (3.555m) with record distances.
Harewood, too, copped a division title, having secured the Under-13 category despite failing to win a single event. He was second in the 200, third in the 100 and finished further in the long jump. Like Toppin before her, eventual victrix ludorum Nafeesa Codrington (Society) was a perfect three of three in her events.
The Under-9 Girls’ queen completed the sprint double by taking the 80m (13.07), 100m (16.26) and 150m (24.27) titles.
For the second year running, St Alban’s won the overall girls’ title despite not having a single division winner.
