The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The CH Reeves Raptors have taken a 130-point lead over their closest rivals, AF Adderley Fighting Tigers, at the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s 21st Annual Junior High School Track and Field Championships.

On Tuesday - day one of the two-day championship - at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, the Raptors accumulated a total of 299 points and are trailed by the Fighting Tigers with 169. The SC McPherson Sharks are sitting in third with 149.

Varel Davis, one of the coaches at CH Reeves, said they are right where they want to be.

“Today was a good day. Our field athletes did an excellent job for us,” Davis said. “We had a lot of relays that we placed in so the points doubled. We did very well today.”

And as the meet wraps up today, starting at 9am, Davis said they are looking to widen the gap.

“We are going to try to win the relays so we can earn more points. But we have a lot of events that we expect our athletes to do very well in. We are looking good and we feel confident that we will win this meet.”

In addition to the 4 x 100 metre relays contested yesterday, the highlight came in the individual 100, 400 and 1,200 and 1,500 metres, while on the field, the spotlight was on the long and high jumps as well as the shot put and discus.

In the bantam girls’ division (11-13 years old), AF Adderley’s Kiasha Smith won the 100m in 13.63, LW Young’s Kendricka Nairn took the 400m in 1:13.54 and AF Adderley’ Petranique Conliffe clocked 5:06.19 in the 1,200m.

SC McPherson’s D’Sasha Cooper leapt 3.90 metres for the win in the long jump and CH Reeves’ Amanti McKinney cleared 7.76m to take the high jump.

The bantam boys’ division saw SC McPherson’s Reuben Cooper come through with a sweep as he won the 100m in 12.78 and took the 400m in 1:02.88. Cooper also showed his versatility as he soared 4.96m to add the long jump title to his collection.

CH Reeves’ Anton Pratt, who was second in the 400m in 1:03.88, captured the 1,200 in 4:04.94.

Pratt’s teammate, Tyra McKenzie, was the winner of the junior girls’ (13-15 years old) 100m in 13.59, while AF Adderley’s Rochelle Tibby ran 1:02.69 in the 400m and CH Reeves’ Shanique Knowles won the 1,500m in 5:44.71.

Anatol Rodgers got some of the spotlight when Carleah Armbrister cleared 1.37m in the high jump and AF Adderley’s Asiariana Strachan won the discus with 21.37m.

And in the junior boys’ division, DW Davis’ Max Azor stopped the clock in 11.81 to snatch the century victory, AF Adderley’s Brentinero Sands won the 400m in 56.33 and HO Nash’s Lhevinne Joseph did 4:53.02 to take the 1,500m.

The long jump was won by Christian Dames with a leap of 5.04m. Anatol Rodgers’ Kelson Riley cleared 1.70m in the high jump and CH Reeves got the victory in the discus from Brian Deesilien with 31.81m and the javelin from Gabriel Hall with 34.60m.

The meet is scheduled to wrap up today with the 200 and 800m along with the 4x400 relays highlighting the action on the track. On the field will be more jumps and throwing events.

Following junior championships, the senior high championship will be contested Thursday and Friday.