POLICE ended the three-year reign of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in the Inter-Service Annual Athletics Championships (ISAAC) after a strong final day at the Eve Leary ground on Friday.

GDF won the last two events of the 2018 edition of the games, but still lost by over 90 points, due mostly to a strong showing by the female Police athletes, led by Natasha Alder in the field and by Alita Moore, Jevina Sampson and Kezra Murray on the track.

Overall, Police finished the multi-day affair, which also included swimming and road races, with 1 099 points, while GDF ended with 1 004 points, the Guyana Fire Service with 223 points and the Guyana Prison Service with 107 points.

Alder and Moore tallied 30 points each to finish as joint champions in the female division.

GDF’s Damon Williams, who won the men’s triple jump and finished in second place in the high jump and the long jump was crowned champion male, while fellow GDF athlete Akeem Stewart, who clocked an extremely close second place in the 100m, finished as runner-up.

The Championships, which began in 1976 has spurred on a healthy rivalry, but GDF had managed to take a grip in recent years, owing to victories in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2017, the competition had an off-year, which made the 2018 edition even more competitive.

GDF finished 1-2-3 in the women’s 100m officers’ dash, with Kesha Aaron (14.81s), winning ahead of teammates Stacy Cadogan and Melissa Stewart, but they dominated very little afterwards.

Police trump card, Moore, was incredible and she defended her 100m, 200m and 400m events that she had won in 2016. She clocked 12.41s, 25.56s and 57.82s respectively.  The 24-year-old, who credits “hard training” for her wins, also helped her team to a 4x100m relay title.

Sampson and Murray showed their dominance in the longer distances.   Sampson won the 1500m and finished second in the 400m, while Murray won the 800m and the 3 000m.

Alder was in a league of her own in the throws. She won the shot put with a toss of 12.12m, the discus with a distance of 41.43m, almost four metres farther than her closest opponent (GDF’s Tenisha Cort), while she edged out Cort in the javelin with a winning throw of 33.87m. Cort finished with a top throw of 33.55m.

The high jump was also a close battle as eventual winner Cindy Fraser (1.51m) got past GDF’s Donella Joe (1.49m). The Police athlete Fraser (5.50M) had finished second to teammate Taznika Lovell (5.58M) in the women’s long jump.

MALE DIVISION
Although Williams and Stewart finished with the most points – it was Police athlete, Davin Fraser who was the talk of the afternoon in the male division.

Fraser (10.62s) edged Stewart (10.63s) in the 100m race, while he got past Olympian Winston George in the 200m.  The 25-year-old, who clocked 21.22s, began celebrating before he reached the final line. George ended on 21.40s and Linton Mentis (also from the GPF) in third on 21.51s.

GPF’s George bounced back later in the day to claim a first place in his ‘pet event’, the 400m, in a time of 48.74s. Mentis finished second in 49.14s, while GDF’s Dequan Vancooten placed third (50.08s).

GDF’s Denzil Leitch won the 800m (1:52.09), ahead of Police athletes Andernee Headecker (1:52.39) and Quacy Morian (1:54.06).

Leitch (4:04.79) had to settle for a second-place finish in the men’s 1500m as Headecker rallied to victory in 4:03.59s. Soldiers Tyshon Bentinck (4:04.88) placed third.

Earlier in the week, GPF’s Winston Missigher (16:37.64s) had defeated seasoned athlete Cleveland Forde (16:38.34) in the 5000m.

In the field, triple jump winner Williams (14.52m) settled for second place in the high jump and the long jump.  Torique Boyce, who jumped 2.00m finished first in the high jump, while Lurex Stewart was the top long jumper (6.81m).

Meanwhile, GDF’s Selwyn Henry won the shot put with a throw of 13.38m.