… Police retain overall title; St. Clair cops male champion title, Straker takes female honours
UNITED States-based middle distance athlete Marian Burnett returned with a bang to the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, where she won the international women’s international 1500 metres race in sodden conditions and in the process defeated the promising double Carifta Games Gold medalist Jevina Straker, who had to settle for second. But Straker rebounded to eventually take home the Female Champion athlete; while the men’s 800m international event was won by National Park’s Cleveland Thomas, as Male Champion athlete Julio St Clair piloted the Police Sports Club to retain the Champion Overall title when the Third annual President’s/Jefford Classic Meet took place at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground on Sunday night in the bauxite mining town of Linden..
Braving the rainy weather  were hundreds of fans who turned up to see Linden-born athlete  Burnett, who would have been competing on the outfield where she first started her athletic career, and last competed here in 1995, while still attending Mackenzie High School.
Burnett, had a good home welcome when she graced the meeting with her presence after the organisers had promised that she would be appearing this year, and  despite the heavy conditions, showed her class  in winning against the international field which included Straker who would however  take  first position in the 3 000 metres women’s race, second Trinidad and Tobago’s Tonya Nero who placed third and Grenada’s Olympic selectee  Kenisha Pascal who was pushed into the fourth position as Rising Stars’ Alika Morgan settled for fifth.
The other event which was of an international flavour was the men’s 800m race which was copped by National Park’s Cleveland Thomas in a time of 1:58.80 from Trinidad and Tobago’s Mark London and third was Kevin Bayley of Police Sports Club.
Straker would however win two other events when competing in the 800m race, which she won in a time of 2 mins 30.8secs ahead of Jonas and third was Adama Roberts of Police Sports Club and the 3000m in a time of 12mins 03.70 secs beating Ashanti Scott of the GDF and Adama Roberts of Police Sports Club who placed second and third respectively.
The Male Champion athlete award was won by Julio St Clair who won the men’s discus with a throw of 34.86m beating the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Obie Haddaway who took second spot and Michael Pollydore of Police Sports Club third.
St Clair was also the winner of the men’s shot put with a distance of 12.5m ahead of Haddaway and third was the Cleon Coppin of the GDF. St Clair was fourth in the javelin for men, which was won by Michael Bowman of National Park.
Other double winners on the day were female sprint queen Alisha Fortune of National Park who copped the sprint double over 100 in 12.20secs and the 200m clocking 25.60secs. Cleveland Forde of the GDF also had a good  meet as he bested the field in the men’s 1500m winning in a time of 4mins 15.70secs while taking care of things in the 5 000m clocking 16mins 35.60secs.
Upper Demerara’s Winston Caesar (Jr) who captured the long jump leaping to 6.54m and the triple jump, jumping 12.40m to be the brightest home athlete with a double win.
And the triple jump, 12.4m field athlete Natasha Alder of the Police Sports Club also had two wins in the women’s javelin with a distance of 33.40m and the shot put which she won with a throw of 10.19m.
Chavez Ageday won the men’s 100m in 11.5 while the 200m male event was taken by Stephan James of National Park in a time of 23.40secs.
The men’s 400m race was taken by Elton Bollers of National Park while his teammate Neisa Allen copped the women’s 400m race.
And National Park’s Natrena Hooper came away with the women’s triple jump with 9.60m
The Police Sports Club’s Alita Moore was the winner of the women’s triple jump with a distance of 4.68m and teammate Latoya Rodney won the javelin with a throw of 27.75m.
The retention of the overall championship title after 14 completed events and receipt of $500,000 by the Police Sports Club were based on their scoring 313.50 points and in the process taking the women’s category with 175 points and second among the females with 138.50 points.
Next came National Park who copped second overall with 284 points after taking second in the men’s events with 169 points and third among the women with 115 points.
Third were Guyana Defence Force with 225.50 points and they were third in the women’s  section on 77 points and first among the male events with 140.50 points and third in the women’s events with 77 points.
Fourth overall came Upper Demerara followed by Unenheights, Mercury fast Laneers, Trinidad and Tobago, Overseas, Grenada Aaa and Risings Stars to complete the contesting teams.