After dismantling the 100 meters record the previous day, teenage sensation Kenisha Phillips returned last evening to add the 200 meters to her record breaking list when the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships continued at the Guyana National Stadium. Phillips won the Girls U-16 200 meters running 25.4 seconds to erase the 25.6 seconds which was set by South Georgetown’s Tiran Mitchell in 2012 at the same venue.
District 11’s Avon Samuels got in on the record breaking performance as well, while Compton Ceasar and Jason Yaw picked up wins in the male under 18 and under 20 200m, respectively.
In her second record breaking performance in just as many days, Phillips was in fine form as she blazed down the track once again taking on District 12 Cassie Small, and South Georgetown Tiffauna Garnett, who she came up against in the 100 meters finals.
Small could only settle for second place after clocking 26 seconds, while a 26.2 seconds finished handed Garnett third place.
Just before Phillips took her record, it was North Georgetown’s Avon Samuels who clocked the first record of the day. Samuels, who also won Wednesday’s girls’ under 18 100m, once again had to fight off efforts from East Georgetown’s Natricia Hooper.
Fight as she may, Hooper could not catch up to Samuels, who blazed through on the turn and went hard on the final straight ending just inside Shannon Griffith’s 25.6 seconds record (set in 2012) when she won the 200m in a time of 25.5 seconds. Hooper came in for second place in a time of 26.1 seconds.
In the boys under 20, Yaw put paid to Tevin Garraway’s hopes of capturing a sprint double. Yaw, who later last night led District 11 to a stunning second place finish in the male 4x400m relay, was not to be outdone in yesterday’s finals. Yaw reached the line in a time of 22.2 seconds.
Garraway was all the way in third after finishing in 22.6 seconds. Linton Mentis took second place in a time of 22.5 seconds.
Compton Ceasar handed the boys’ under 18 200m win to District 10, after he ended in a time of 22.3 seconds, this follows his win in the 100m.
Also capturing sprint doubles yesterday were Linden’s Kenisha Prescott who won the girls under 20 200m finals in a time of 27.1 seconds, and Yessina Andrews, who clocked 26.6 seconds in the girls under 14 200m.
Linden’s Daniel Williams equalled the record in the male under 16 200m when he ended with a time of 22.6 seconds.
The day also featured the 1500m finals where Claudrice McKoy picked up her third win on the track. The North Georgetown athlete added the girls’ under 16 1500m to her list of wins, which also includes the 3000m, and 800m. McKoy won the event in a time of 5:10.1s. District 9’s Margaret Augusto was second, and West Demerara’s Joanna Archer was third.
District 11’s Mathew McKenzie finished with a win in the male Under-18 1500m off a time of 4:29.0s.
In the male under 16 1500m District 10’s Selwyn Mingo, who won the 3000m, failed to medal as Jeremy Garrett (4:38.8s), Ronaldo Wishart (4:40.6s), and Graven Stephen (4:44.8s) took the top three spots.