… Skeete, Tyndall complete sprint double

WITH the 59th National Schools Swimming, Cycling, Track and Field, and Teachers Championship in its final day, current overall title-holders, District 10 (Upper Demerara/Kwakwani) remain on pace to reclaim their ‘Champion of Champions’ trophy.

The 16-time champions lead the table with 526 points, while District #4 (East Coast Demerara)  are second with 309 points and West Coast Berbice (District 5), on 292 points, round off the top three.

Over in the teachers’ championship, District 10, head into the final day one point (165) behind leaders South Georgetown (District 13) with 166 and District 11, North Georgetown 162 points.

With District 10 running away with the track and field title, placing second behind North Georgetown in the pool and behind District #6 (Corentyne) in the cycling, it would take some sort of act from God to prevent them from hoisting the Champions of Champions trophy for the 17th time in the game’s history, and the fifth consecutive time.

North Georgetown, from 1980 to 1984, was the last time a district won five consecutive ‘Nationals’ title.

Meanwhile, the penultimate day of the championship saw more records fall, as Attoya Harvey, Wesley Tyndall, Shaquka Tyrell, Loneil Marks, teacher Jonathan Fagundes led the way.

Anisha Gibbons, Guyana’s 2019 CARIFTA Games gold medallist reset her record in the Girls’ Javelin, and Chenille Bowen, a teacher, dismantled her own Discus record.

Tyndall from District 11, after claiming the Boys’ U-16 100m title, clocked 22.74s to win the 200m, beating Osa Blair’s 22.91s which was set last year.

Deshana Skeete ran 25.12s for a photo-finish against Brianna Charles (25.16s) to win the Girls’ U-18 200m.

Marks (West Coast Berbice), after being disqualified in the Boys’ U-20 100m, returned yesterday to clock 21.36s, finishing ahead of District 10’s Jennis Benjamin who had to settle for second in 22.32s.

Marks’ time was good enough to replace Titus Webster’s 22.14s which was also set last year.

Over in the U-18 1500m, Tyrell from District 10, winner of the 800m from the previous day, smashed Joanna Archer’s record of five minutes, 20.26 seconds (5:20.26) with a time of 5:03.99.

Harvey of West Demerara, broke her own U-14 1500m, clocking 5:07.47 to win ahead of Rupununi’s Vannytta Francis (5:14.60) and Upper Demerara’s Hannah Joseph (5:17.39).

Gibbons of East Coast Demerara, the holder of the Girls’ U-16 Javelin record of 26.64m, which she set last year, had a jaw-dropping throw of 45.33m to claim gold.

Bowen destroyed her own female teachers’ 31-40 Discus record, erasing the old 21.27m with a distance of 24.46m.