Division Champs: L-R: Ashley Penn, Intermdeite Girls; Beyonce DeFreitas, Jr. Girls; Niaylia Smith, Sr. Girls; Akeem Bradshaw, Intermediate Boys; Jelani Norman, Jr. Boys.
MAY 10—Lettsome House’s Intermediate Girls Nelda Huggins took sole possession of the 5-year old 200m National Scholastic and National Youth Records she shared with Britney Wattley, highlighting the parade of 15 championships records established at Friday’s closing of the 42nd Elmore Stoutt Inter-House Championships.
At the end of the competition, Flemming, House 3, landed their record 15th Inter-House Championship since their first in 1981, dethroning defending champs Carlisle—who ended a 22-year drought last year. Flemming amassed 687 points. It came down to the Sr. Boys 4x400m Relay to decide the final placing among the other three houses. O’Neal, House 2’s anchor held off his Carlisle, House 4 counterpart as both ended tied for second with 558 points. Lettsome, House 1 finished with 531.
Huggins who tied Wattley’s 2008 mark in the 200m of 24.55 seconds on Feb 9, but had wind aided times of 24.08 and 24.37 seconds to her credit, cut the tape at 24.33 for the record.
She also seized possession of Shanice Hazel’s 6-year old 100m record of 11.78 seconds from 2006 on Wednesday, when the 16 year old ran 11.77 seconds.
Huggins’ marks paced 15 meet records established during the 2-day competition which started on Wednesday experienced a day’s rain delay for the first time in its history and ended on Friday.
Lettsome House’s Kyron McMaster picked up his third meet record of the competition when he ran a personal best of 22.41 seconds in the 200m, after recording Intermediate Division marks of 11.25 and 50.49 in the 100 and 200m on Wednesday.
O’Neal House’s Beyonce DeFreitas, 12, earned the Jr. Girls Division title with victories in the 400, 800m and Long Jump events. She was engaged in a spirited battle with Flemming’s Zacharia Frett who won the 100m in a personal best of 12.96 to DeFreitas’ 13.06. Frett who will be 13 in June, was second to DeFreitas’ personal best of 59.17 in the 400m with her own career mark of 59.58, then edged DeFreitas by .01 in the 200m, 26.33-26.34—personal bests for both.
Flemming’s House Leader Lashmi Sammy said they had some problems last year but returned strong this year.
“I’m pleased with their overall performance. They were very competitive,” she noted. “I must single out a few of them. Leshawn Lindo for the boys and Zacharia Frett for the girls In the Jr. Division,. The Intermediated—I cannot mention a single name. all the Intermediate athletes—both boys and girls were very, very good and they broke records also.”
Sammy said her senior girls were outstanding in their own way. She said she was happy for Dominic Adams who went out on a good note as division champion. She said that she was happy for Niaylia Smith, because over the years, she knew Niaylia could have been a Victrix Ludorum. “But, because of other circumstances she never made it, however this year she made it because she took it upon herself and she did it.”
Sammy thanked the public and parents for coming out and supporting their children. She also thanked the coaches. She said they told her that she always have a team on the track training.
“Sports does not begin on Sports Day. Sports starts at the end of Sports Day,” she noted. “We look at our athletes, identify our weaknesses and we work on them for the next year. I think we are going to hold the title for many, many years if we stick like that. Bianca Dougan is back and she has joined the House 3 team so there’s no backing down now.”
Meet Records established:
Jr. Girls: Beyonce DeFreitas, O’Neal, 400m, 59.17 seconds.
Jr. Boys: Leshawn Lindo, Lettsome, 100m, 12.61 seconds and 200m, 25.56.
DJimon Gumbs, Lettsome, Shot Put: 12.90m and Discus Throw, 39.68m.
Intermediate Girls: Nelda Huggins, Lettsome, 100m, 11.77 seconds and 200m, 24.33.
4x100m Relay: Flemming: Sh’Kaida Lavacia, Judine Lacey, Ashley Penn and Tarike “Tinker Bell” Moses.
4x400m Relay: Judine Lacey, Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses, Kelsha Fortune and Sh’Kaida Lavacia, 4:00.70.
Intermediate Boys: Kyron Master, Lettsome, 100m, 11.25 seconds; 200m, 22.41 and 400m, 50.49.
Sr. Girls: Javelin Frett, 9.15m.
Sr. Boys: Eldred Henry, Carlisle, Discus Throw, 54.33m and Shot Put, 15.52m.
Division Champions:
Jr. Girls: Beyonce DeFreitas, O’Neal, House 2, 46 points. Boys: Jelani Norman, Carlisle, House 4, 43.
Intermediate Girls: Ashley Penn, Flemming, House 3, 40. Boys: Akeem Bradshaw, Carlisle, House 4, 46.
Sr. Girls: Niayla Smith, Flemming, House 3, 50. Boys: (tie) Aundre Turnbull, O’Neal, House 2 and Dominic Adams, Carlisle, House 4, 44.
Victirx Ludorum: Niayla Smith, Flemming, House 3, 50. Victor: Akeem Bradshaw, Carlisle, House 4, 46.