-Running Brave ladies sizzle

By Faizool Deo

THE POLICE Progressive Youth Club was able to dominate the 15-and-under division and pip the Guyana Defence Force in the senior events during the one-day Jubilee Relay Meet, which was held yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora.

Although there were no overall trophies, the clubs and schools still battled for prizes and pride in the event sponsored and organised by the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport and the Athletics Association of Guyana.

In the 15-and-under division, Police finished with 54 points with Tutorial High School and Mercury Fast Laners tied for second with 30 points, while DeChallengers finished just behind on 28 points.

In the 19-and-under division, Hopetown Flames finished with 48 points, while Mercury Fast Laners finished with 43 points, Police Progressive Youths placed third on 40 points and Mackenzie High School on 33 points. Meanwhile, in the 20-plus age group (seniors), Police finished on 56 points, while GDF finished with 52 points, the University of Guyana on 33 points and Running Brave on 30 points.

DOMINANT RUNNING BRAVES
Despite the overall results, bragging rights and cash incentives were up for grabs in the senior division and for the females—Running Braves were unstoppable.
Ruth Sanmoogan, Shoquane Daniels, Shequita Marcus and Alisha Fortune were able to win the 800M sprint medley, the 4x100M relay and the 4x200M relay.

In the 800M sprint medley, with Sanmoogan anchoring, the ladies clocked 1:48.77 on a wet track under overcast conditions. Police athletes (Cassie Tixie, Kenesha Halley, Alita Moore and Cassie Small) placed second in 1:49.68.

In the 4X100M relay, 45-year-old former Sportswoman of the Year, Fortune anchored the side to 48.80s, to pip Police who finished in 49.64s.
The Guyana Defence Force A (Eureka Williams, Aniquah Powley, Nikita Joseph and Tonya Rawlins) finished a fraction behind in 49.67s.

GDF had a chance to defeat Running Brave in the 4x200M race. Shaquane had given the eventual winners a good start, but Fortune was outpaced by Rawlins, which carried the soldiers ahead by the halfway mark. Marcus though ran down Maria Urquhart and medical student Sanmoogan made no mistake as she anchored the side to victory.
Running Brave finished the 4x200M in 1:44.55, while GDF clocked 1:45.66 and Police Sports Club 1:45.71.

In the senior male division, Police (Samuel Lynch, Royston Fordyce, Quacy Morian and Cleveland Thomas) won the Distance Medley (2400m) event in a time of 5:39.48, with GDF ‘A’ just behind in 5:39.50.
GDF sprinters avenged their middle distance runners and took both the 4x100M and the 4x200M races.

In the 4x100M relay, the team of Yannick Williams, Leslain Baird, Brian Roman and Akeem Stewart powered GDF to first place in 41.46s, just ahead of Police (Stephon Boodie, Linton Mentis, Titus Webster and Davin Fraser) who finished in 41.57s.
Hopetown Flames ‘A’ clocked third in 44.38s.

Meanwhile, in the 4x200M relay, Stewart stormed GDF into the lead, and Roman and Michael James kept the pace, which left national javelin record holder, Baird, to seal the win in 1:27.86s. Police finished second in 1:28.37s, while the University of Guyana ‘A’ team placed third.

The two top clubs split the mixed relays.
Police won the 19-and-under 4x400M. The team of Deniro Persaud, Donna Lowe, Courtly Bobb and Odessa France clocked 3:55.87, ahead of Hopetown Flames ‘A’ (3:58.00) and Mercury Fast Laners (4:26.39).

In the senior 4x400M mixed relay, Police experimented by anchoring with Alita Moore, the hope was that their other athletes would have given her the lead that she needed, but that was not the case and Michael James was able to chance her down and surge ahead. GDF finished in 3:55.57, while Police clocked 4:11.63 and UG 4:25.55.