Naggo Head claim INSPORTS Central Championships title
Naggo Head Primary ran away with the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Championships at GC Foster College on Wednesday, amassing an impressive 313 points to claim the $350,000 winning prize.
Dethroned champions Spanish Town were second with 236.5 points and collected $250,000, while Greater Portmore finished third with 229 points and got their $200,000. The surprise package, St John’s Primary, were fourth with 155, with Southborough completing the top five with 100 points. The teams from fourth to 10th all collected $100,000 each.
Nichkolet Brown of St John’s won the first final of the day, the girls’ long jump open with a record leap of 4.57m ahead of Shamielia Anderson of Friendship Primary with 4.35m.
Keneisha Robinson got Naggo Head going when she captured the girls’ 70m hurdles in 12.16 seconds. Her teammate Shenell Coleman was third in 12.92 for 15 big points and they never looked back. Afharia Anderson of Spanish Town was second in 23.23.
The points continued to pile up for Naggo Head as they secured another 15 points in the boys’ 70m hurdles courtesy of Donte Barrett, who lowered his own record from 11.36 down to an impressive 10.77. He was awesome and certainly had the recruiters on their toes. Dwayne Oakley of Greater Portmore was second in 11.39 and Naggo Head’s Kaydon Henry third in 11.57.
In arguably the race of the championship, Spanish Town’s Katalia Sterling outlasted favourite Waivany Walker of Naggo Head in a sterling battle in the girls’ Class One 400m, winning in a record 1:01.04, just ahead of previous record holder Walker in 1:01.11.
The outstanding Keneisha Robinson of Naggo Head returned and claimed her second gold, capturing the Class Two 300m in a record 43.55.
St John’s Primary controlled the boys’ Class One 400m and Class Two 300m courtesy of Iandre Brown in 58.93 and D’Andre Gobern in 43.79.
The sprints turned up some impressive displays, none more than from Kashmer Gunther of Southborough Primary who stopped the clock at 12.08 in the boys’ Class One 100m, erasing Jevaney Findley’s 12.13 set last year. Renardo McCalla of Naggo Head took the Class Two event in 12.95, the same as second-placed Jaden Reid of Southborough.
In the girls’ section, Shamara Chin of Greater Portmore took the Class One 100m with a record run of 12.93, while Allia Royal of Davis Primary captured the Class Two in 13.91.
There were record runs in the Class Four 60m sprints as Azaria Williams of Naggo Head won in 9.15, ahead of Jada-Kaye Brown of Greater Portmore with 9.45. Vaughn Chambers of Crescent Primary won the boys’ equivalent in a record 8.76 seconds, just ahead of Jamair Dixon of Kensington Primary with 8.77.
Perez Pearson of St John’s leapt 5.15m and improved his record of 4.91m in the Boys’ Long Jump Open. Jaydon Allen of Greater Portmore finished second with 4.97m ahead of Friendship’s Damarion Crooks with 4.93, all surpassing the previous record.
Pearson then returned and anchored his team to the medley relay victory, winning in a record 1:54.32 ahead of Kensington with 2:00.45. Naggo Head were third in 2:02.77.
In the girls’ medley open, Kensington won in 2:00.69 ahead of St John’s with 2:06.31. Naggo Head were third in 2:06.35.
Naggo Head put the icing on the cake, running away with the girls’ 4x200m relay in a record 1:49.12, well below the previous record of 1:52.31 held by Greater Portmore. Spanish Town were second in 1:52.66, with Greater Portmore third in 1:54.44.
Southborough closed the day’s proceedings in style, winning the boys’ 4x200m relay in 1:46.55, ahead of Naggo Head in 1:48.18. St John’s stormed into third in 1:50.92. Spanish Town, who dropped the baton while leading on the third leg, were fourth in 1:51.14.
The top eight teams now advance to the grand finale set for May 20-22 to decide the all-island champions. Lysson Primary of St Thomas had won the Eastern Championships last week. The Western Championships starts on Thursday, with Corinaldi Avenue Primary of St James entering as the defending champions.