The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER the first day of competition, the CV Bethel Stingrays have emerged as the early leaders in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s Senior High Track & Field Championships at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

At the end of Thursday’s session, the Stingrays amassed a total of 316 points as they hold a 43-point lead ahead of the CR Walker Knights. The Knights, who are seeking their 11th straight title, are sitting in second with 283, well ahead of third place CC Sweeting Cobras, who have 131 points for third.

Rounding out the field of eight teams are the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves with 126, Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins with 114, CI Gibson Rattlers with 110, RM Bailey Pacers with 92 and the Government High Magics with 83 at the bottom of the pile.

Going into today’s final day of competition, CV Bethel’s head coach Rupert Gardiner said they are right where they want to be, but they’re not going to rest on their laurels.

“The first day was good. We started out with a bang,” said Gardiner, who gave a lot of credit to his coaching staff that got the Stingrays’ team together in his absence as he attended the IAAF 15th World Indoor Championships as the head coach of the Bahamas’ 11-member team in Sopot, Poland, last week.

“Our athletes performed very well. We had a lot of 1-2 places in a lot of events. Events that I didn’t expect us to do so well in, we performed very well. We got off with a bang, so I’m pleased. We have to be dominant the first day because the second day is where CR Walker comes on very strong.”

But if his Stingrays can duplicate the same type of enthusiasm and performances today that they displayed yesterday, Gardiner said they can definitely give the Knights a run for their money. If they are successful, Gardiner would be the only coach to win the title in three different schools - first at CC Sweeting in 1982 and then RM Bailey in the 1990s.

However, coach Floyd Armbrister and his Knights are not conceding defeat just yet. “It was rough today. Normally the first day, CR Walker has it rough,” he said. “CR Walker is built up mainly of track and field athletes. So we have our athletes spread around. We had some good performances on the field today. But CV Bethel did better than us on the track in the sprint events. It’s going to be very close tomorrow. I think the team that brings it to the track will end up winning.”

Unlike the previous years when they dominated, Armbrister said there’s some concerns in this year’s championships because his Knights are not shining in the traditional CR Walker style.

“Our athletes are not as disciplined. We have a lot of new people and they don’t understand the discipline that CR Walker is known for,” he said. “There are some of them who feel they are still in junior high school and we have to get that mentality out of them. Discipline plays a key role in winning a championship.”

Armbrister said since they only trail by about 30-plus points, they are confident that the Knights will prevail once again because the Stingrays won’t be able to hold them off when they start striking today.

While the first day of competition featured the finals in the 100, 400, 1,200, 1,500 and 4 x 100 metres relays on the track and various disciplines on the field, today’s finale will include the 200, 800 and 4 x 400 relays as well as various disciplines on the field.