THE Kwakwani Secondary School thrilled all, as they displayed sound judgment and a stellar performance at this year’s second Inter-Schools Kayaking competition.

The event was once again organised by Elite Kayaking and Nature Tours, and staged at the back of the Watooka Guest House along the Demerara River in Mackenzie, Linden on Sunday.

The Upper Demerara River school in Region 10, as first-timers, walked away with the lion’s share of the prizes that were up for grabs.

Kwakwani ended the meet with Kasim English and Orlina Sauers taking the mixed short-distance 400m race ahead of Linden Foundation’s Rovaldo Lambert and Ronika Lambert, and New Silver City’s Iwayne Torres and Jumia Bremner.

Kwakwani also won the female and male relay races, as Linden Foundation were victorious in the male long distance event through Nicholas Estwick, as New Silvercity’s Derriann Braithwate took first position in the female individual long distance race.

Linden Foundation were tops in the female individual event won by Lavisha Cornelius, as Harmony Secondary’s Ezikiel Persaud topped in the male individual short distance race.

In the end, Kwakwani Secondary accumulated a winning 50 points, total, to squeeze past Linden Foundation with 49 points, as third came New Silver City Secondary, ten points adrift on 40 points.

Fourth place went to last year’s inaugural schools’ champion Harmony Secondary, with 35 points ahead of Christianburg Wismar ‘Multi’, who, with 31 points, placed fifth, with Mackenzie High settling for sixth on 26 points.

The schools from the City could not place higher, as St. Stanislaus College having 23 points for seventh position, Wisburg Secondary, the urgent secondary school from Linden getting 10 points for eight place, while St. Roses High finished ninth with six points, St. Joseph High mustered two points to be tenth place above Queen’s College, who ended in the cellar position with one point for eleventh place.

For their outstanding performance, Kwakwani Secondary won $200,000 in cash, along with trophies and medals, compliments of SLB. Courts will also be donating ‘tablets’ and school supplies to each student of the Kwakwani team.

Dr. Deon Anderson, who heads the organising kayaking body, took time out to give special thanks to sponsors Banks DIH for their unwavering support.

He made specific note of title sponsors, SLB, for making this possible in a very big way; Courts for honouring the champions; and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Guyana Tourism Authority, Office of the Prime Minister, and ENet for their very tangible contributions.