THE WIDE GAP that Scotiabank Springer Memorial usually have on the other schools is closing, even though the Government Hill girls celebrated more athletics success yesterday.
Springer, the undisputed queens of track and field, had to dig deep to stave off the challenge of Christ Church Foundation to win the Esther Maynard Zone of the PowerAde Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships (BSSAC) by a mere 16-point margin.
Whereas Foundation were more dominant on the track, Springer reaped rich rewards in the field events to finish with 476 points and claim a psychological triumph over their Christ Church opponents, who ended with 460.
These points will be thrown out when the BSSACFinals are held on March 17 and 18 but it is noteworthy that when Springer won the girls’ title last year with 391 points, Foundation were third on 206.
Harrison College, with new additions Sada Williams (23.97) and Akayla Morris (25.86) comfortably winning the Under-20 and Under-17 200 metres, respectively, clinched third place with 352.5 points, while Alleyne (206) and Combermere (122) were the only other schools with more than 100 points.
Springer showed their strength in the discus where Julisa Jones-Smith got her third victory among the Under-15 Girls with a toss of 22.59 metres. Simone Carroll (27.59) and Renee Burke (25.35) also triumphed among the Under-17s and Under-20s, respectively. Drew-Ann Clarke won the Under-17 Girls’ high jump, clearing 1.55 metres.
Foundation earned a number of victories in the field events but paid the price for not having any athletes in the Under-13 Girls’ 800 metres.
Clean sweep
Elizabeth Williams won the Under-20 Girls’ 800 metres in 2:18.13 minutes for Foundation from Springer’s Jade Searles (2:23.06), but Alleyne made a clean sweep of the other age groups.
Chloe Lucas (2:31.43) won the Under-17 race, Christian Shurland (2:32.11) triumphed over the Under-15s and Dalecia Williams (2:46.08) was the Under-13 winner.
Even when Ashantia Phillips got her third win in the Under-20 Girls’ high jump with a clearance of 1.72 metres, Springer’s Jalicia Neil (1.66) was second.
Foundation enjoyed success in the long jump pit. Gabrielle Yearwood leapt 4.30 metres to win the Under-13 Girls’ event while Dominique Wood won among the Under-15 Girls with 4.75 metres but Springer claimed second and third positions through Khadeja Straughn (4.72) and Zariah Greaves (4.71).
Foundation’s Yearwood (28.02) also won the Under-13 Girls’ 200 metres from her schoolmate Janae Goodman (28.11)
There was a one-two for Foundation in the Under-20 Girls’ 400-metre hurdles through Laneekwa Gibson (73.05) and Nadia Maynard (73.84). Hannah Connell continued her good showing, slamming the field in the Under-17 Girls’ 300 metres hurdles with a sizzling 44.81 seconds.
She was also part of Foundation’s triumphant 4×400 relay quartet of Rosette Hoyte, Krista Maloney and Tiana Bowen, which clocked 3:54.64 minutes.
Harrison College’s Tia Hinds won the Under-15 Girls’ 200 metres hurdles in 31.39 but the day’s biggest upset came when Combermere’s Mariel Corbin (25.95), with the fastest time in her heat, won the Under-15 Girls’ 200 metres from Foundation’s duo of Jaliyah Denny (26.04) and Lelani Haddock (26.09).
ezrastuart@nationnews.com
