Lakeisha Warner Snatches Third National Record in 10 days

Lakeisha "Mimi" Warner, far right, takes off in the Jr. Girls 1500m

MARCH 20—Good bye Darwn Peters. So long Chantal Scatliffe. There’s a new Distance Queen in town.

In a 10 day span, Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner claimed her third National Record when she added her name to the 1500m mark, during Tuesday’s pre Elmore Stoutt High School sports day events to wipe Chantal Scatliffe’s 17-year old mark of 5 minutes, 09.9 seconds from the books and became the territory’s first female athlete to run under 5:00.00, minutes, when she crossed the line in 4:50.50.

Her time also eclipsed Antigua's Stacie Quashie's All Comers Record of 4:53.60 from May 16, 1998. 

On Friday, March 16, the 14 year old took down Darwn Peters’ eight year old 3000m national mark of 11 minutes, 50.67 seconds, when she stopped the clock at 10:53.1, to shatter Malikah Junkere’s meet record of 13:37.7 and demolished Clair Powell’s 23-year old Scholastic Record of 12:41.6 in the process. The time also wiped Antigua's Janil Williams' 11:14.00 from May 6, 2001 as the All Comers Record. 

Warner’s National Record spree began on March 10, during the Carifta Games Trials/National Jr. Championships, when she improved her own 800m National Youth and National Scholastic Record from 2 minutes, 17.59 seconds to 2:13.80.

Her marks in the 800m is a National Scholastic and National Youth Record,  while her 1500/3000m marks are National Scholastic, National Youth, National Jr. and National Records. For her efforts, she will collect Sol National Record breakers awards during the fourth BVI Athletics Association Athlete Awards Recognition Gala on December 28. An athlete establishing an indoor or outdoor national record that stands at season’s end qualifies for the award. 

Niayla Smith won the Sr. Girls 1500m in 5:18.75—moving her to No. 5 on the All Time List—marking the 21st improvement on marks since the season opened on Jan 14.   

The Elmore Stoutt High School Inter-House Athletics Championships will be held on March 28 and 29.