MARY FRASER admits that she is still not 100 per cent fit.
She was, however, still good enough to win the Under-20 Girls’ 1500 metres in record time yesterday during the first day of competition in the finals of the Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletic Championships at the National Stadium.
Fraser of the Daryll Jordan Secondary School made her move late to win in 4:46.13 and erased the old record of 4:46.73 set in 2012 by Sonia Gaskin. Elizabeth Williams, representing the Christ Church Foundation School, was second in 4:46.18.
Come from behind
Fraser had to come from behind to pass Williams just a few metres from the line and she told WEEKENDSPORT that she is feeling a little better and was just glad to run a good time.
“This year was really hard for me because I was out sick and I couldn’t train like I wanted to so I am kind of unfit. I just had to sprint at the end and hope to God that I win the race,” said Fraser.
Williams, who is Fraser’s cousin, has dominated the distance events this year and it was no surprise to the track and field faithful that she led for most of the race.
“I knew she [Mary] would try to head to the front. My plan was for the both of us to pull along each other so we would be able to qualify for CARIFTA,” said Williams.
Unfortunately, they both just missed out on the CARIFTA qualifying time of 4:45.00.
Another record yesterday was by Queen’s College’s Antoni Hoyte-Small who obliterated Wilan Louis’ 1999 record of 48.00 seconds in the Under-17 Boys’ 400 metre.
Impressive
Hoyte-Small crossed the line first in an impressive personal best time of 47.86 seconds while Coleridge & Parry’s Rasheeme Griffith was second in 50.02 seconds. Jamahl Burke, also from Queen’s College, was third in 51.72 seconds.
“It feels really excellent to break the record. I was in form coming into today and I knew that I was going to run a good time,” said Hoyte-Small.
He also added that he was aiming to run 47.9 seconds yesterday.
Harrison College’s Sada Williams was an easy winner in the Under-20 Girls’ 400 metres. Williams slammed the field to win in a new record time of 53.13 seconds. She broke the record of 54.04 seconds she set last year, but she admitted that she was not satisfied with her time.
“I was really hoping to run 52 point. I was in lane seven and everyone except one was behind me; my coach told me to run the first 200 metres really hard and I ran as hard as I could and I just finished the last 200 metres,” said Williams.
