Roxborough athletes star at Tobago Regional Championships

Roxborough Secondary School won the boys and girls categories in the Secondary Schools Track and Field (SSTF) -Tobago Regional Championships, at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, last Wednesday and Thursday.

After 95 events, Roxborough topped the female rankings with 398 points followed by Scarborough Secondary (359 points) and Signal Hill (318.15 points).

Roxborough amassed 476 points in the male division. Signal Hill placed second with 370 points and Bishops rounded off the top three on 362 points.

The marque athletes for the champions were Natalia Eastman and Shezlon Gordon. Gordon was the premium open male triple jumper, achieving a distance of 12.11 metres. He also prevailed in the over 17 400m, timed at 52.59 seconds.

Eastman won the over 17 female 400 metres in 59.04 seconds, 800 metres in two minutes, 22.17 seconds, and open triple jump with a horizontal leap of 9.92 metres.

Signal Hill were dominant in the sprints. Q’ Jhea Stewart, Jaquan Douglas and Alexxe Henry won double titles. Douglas breezed to 11.97 seconds in the under 15 boys 100m and flashed 24.94 seconds in the 200m.

Stewart conquered the female under 17, 200m and 400m, stopping the clock at 26.56 seconds and one minute, 65 seconds respectively. Henry was the class of the over 17 girl’s quarter and half lap races.

Henry, a Carifta Games gold and bronze medallists, registered (12.13s) in the 100m and (25.19s) in the 200m.

Scarborough Secondary featured three double gold winners at the meet. Xiah Tobias topped the under 15 female 100m in 12.65 seconds and 200m at 26.61 seconds.

Malachai Cordner had to work hard for his under-17 sprint silverware. Cordner held off his peers in the 100m timed at 11.45 seconds, and posted 23.14 seconds in the 200m.

Jinel Campbell had no equals in the female over-17 shot put and discus events. Her best effort with the four-kilogramme iron ball landed at 14.03 metres. She threw the discus 33.53m.

The highlights for Goodwood were the performances of Sylina Jack and La-Shiyah Biggart. Jack was on cruise-control in the girls under-17 800m and 1,500m, winning in two minutes, 39.10 seconds and 5:49.57 respectively.

Biggart was a major contributor to her school overall points tally, after victories in the under-17 100m, scorching 13.17 seconds, and later clearing a height of 1.50 metres in the high jump.

The highlight-reel over the two days was undoubtedly the exploits of Oshea Cummings of Mason Hall. Cummings, 13, has already achieved the Carifta Games standards in the under-17 1,500m and open 3,000m.

The lanky, powerfully built athlete easily took care of business in the under-15 800m and 1,500m, stopping the clock at 2:35.02 and 5:26.30. In a devastating performance, Cummings lapped all her competitors in the open 3,000m, registering a time of 11:45.93.

Among other athletes winning two gold medals were Signal Hill’s Mykhal Paria in the over-17 1500m (4:43.89) and open 5,000m (18:34.27). Bishop’s Teshawn Kerr touched the finish line at 11.39 seconds in the over-17 boys 100m and 23.31s in the 200m.

In an interview, president of the SSTF Joseph Brewster said he was impressed with the overall Tobago leg, which was watched by a packed covered stand.

“Tobago appears to be the strongest zone in the field and long-distance events,” he said. “Among the eight Secondary Schools, over 800 athletes competed and I must commend the Tobago executive and schools for their enthusiasm.”

Speyside and Pentecostal Light and Life were the other participating schools.

The Tobago qualifiers will meet North and South/Central's top athletes at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on February 20-21, to determine the male and female national champions.