Darius Harding, Mariah Charles sparkle at secondary schools' national 5K

CTS College’s Darius Harding and Tableland Secondary’s Mariah Charles were the big winners when the Secondary Schools Track and Field’s (SSTF) National 5K race was held at North Eastern College, Sangre Grande on November 13 as they won the overall male and female crowns.

In a field which included over 650 student-athletes, it was Harding who had the last say as he was the only competitor who dipped under 17 minutes when he crossed the line in 16 minutes and 49 seconds (16:49). Queen’s Royal College’s Isaiah Alder was second overall in 17:33, with Toco Secondary’s Darreon Thom placing third in 17:48. The top three finishers all competed in the 17+ age group category, with El Dorado East Secondary’s Brion Scott (17:55) being the first participant to cross the line in the under-17 category as he placed fourth overall. On home soil at the Carifta Athletics Games earlier this year, Scott won gold in the boys’ under-17 800-metre event for Team TTO. And though he put up a fighting effort in the SSTF’s National 5K, the “El Do” student just missed out on an overall podium spot though he would have been pleased with topping his age group category.

Fifth-place overall went to Arima Central Secondary’s Mikael Serrette (18:02), who also competed in the under-17 category. Also finishing in the top ten were Presentation College San Fernando’s Shane Bissoon (18:05), Presentation College Chaguanas’ Christopher Radhay (18:47), Trinity College Moka’s Asayeis Leith (19:20), Toco’s Shaquan Olton (19:29) and North Eastern’s very own Raymond Lewis who placed ninth overall and topped the under-15 category with a 19:24 clocking.

On the girls’ side, Charles was the shining star as she not only copped the under-15 age group, but also blew away her older compatriots to take the overall female prize in 23:03. Competing in the 17+ category, St Joseph’s Convent Port of Spain’s Zahzara Williams placed second overall among the girls with a time of 23:26. Another St Joseph’s Convent student in Arya Siewrattan (24:11) placed third in the girls’ category, with the Bishop Anstey High School under-15 pair of Aaliyah Griffith (24:23) and Keanna Cummings (24:42) rounding off the top five.