Athletes tear up records at Nationals

Athletics action in the 59th edition of the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships continued yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora.

Day Three was highlighted by the 400m heats, the 4x 100m relay heats and the field athletes, most notably the record breakers.

They included student athletes, 12 year-old Zeryssa McRae of Linden, Delmar Benjamin, Joshua Tappin, Okenoko Pascal, Anastasia Clarke and teachers, Curt Richards, Osafo Dos Santos and Chenille Bowen.

McRae, broke the under-14 Girls High Jump record of 1.38 Meters set by Alice Fraser two years ago, and registered a new record of 1.48 Meters.

She bested fellow podium dwellers Latoya Williams (1.35 Metres) of District #7 and Nurescia Romascindo (1.30 Metres) of District #1.

Benjamin of District #9 won the boys Under-10 High Jump by beating Samuel Welcome’s the old record of 1.22 Meters set in 2017 by recording a jump of 1.27 Meters.

Tappin, rewrote the record books in the boys Under-20 javelin event, smashing the old record of 55.88m set by

Jermaine Simmons also in 2017. He set a new standard of 57.31 Meters.

Pascal of District #5 broke the Shot Put Boys Under-16 Record of 13.43 Metres which was set by Sean Lam in 2017 to register a new record of 14.25 Meters.

Clarke of District #2 registered a new record of 18.58 Metres, bettering the old one that Tiona Lewis set last year (18.30 Metres) in the Discus Girls Under-12 category.

The records broken by the teachers are as follows:

1. Richards of District #1 is the new record holder for the male Teachers

Javelin Over-40. He registered a throw of 38.26 Meters erasing the old one of 36.94 Meters.

2. Dos Santos (Teachers Shot Put Under-31 Male) of District 15, broke his record of 13.05 Metres and registered a new record of 13.93 Metres

3. Bowen (Teachers Shot Put Under41 Female) of District 1,1 broke her old record of 8.60 Metres and set the new one at 9.15 Metres.

Day four starts today from 09:00hrs. The penultimate day’s activities will be highlighted with the blue riband 100m races and the 800m finals. See you there.

Zeryssa McRae of District #10, broke the under-14 Girls High Jump record of 1.38 Meters and registered a new record of 1.48 Meters.

Action in the Male Teachers (Under-31) 4x100m relay heats which was won by District 13. District 13’s Ian Campbell is pictured powerfully striding during the first hand over. (Emmerson Campbell photo)