By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The 30th edition of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) Track and Field Championships got underway for the junior and senior schools yesterday at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium.

CH Reeves Raptors, the defending champions, are leading with a total of 444.50 and 192.50 points separates them comfortably from the second place HO Nash Lions, who amassed 252 points on day one. The Lions are just eight points ahead of the SC McPherson Sharks who culminated day one with 244 points.

The CV Bethel Stingrays narrowly lead the senior division with 223 points. CR Walker Knights, the reigning champions, totalled 202 points and the RM Bailey Pacers are currently positioned third with 168 points.

Seniors

Marquell Newbold, the U20 girls’ cross country champion, had a good showing on day one of the GSSSA track and field meet. She took home first place finishes in the U20 girls 100m and 400m finals.

In the former, she clocked 12.61 seconds and in the latter she blitzed her competitors with a time of 1:03.37. Newbold ran the anchor leg of the 4x100m relays but a sloppy baton exchange left the Stingrays to settle for second place behind the Knights.

The 12th grader talked about her performance in the 400m finals.

“It felt good to get the victory my last year in school. The wind on the back stretch was crazy, you just had to know how to run into it but coming around the last curve it was better. I was able to increase my speed and get my legs up to finish strong,” she said.

The Stingrays were also successful in the U17 girls 100m event. Synia Lockhart led the way with a time of 13.02 seconds. She was trailed by RM Bailey’s Dream Watkins. Jasmine Bain, representing CR Walker, notched 13.54 seconds for third.

The Knights were dominant in the U17 girls and boys 1,500m events as well as the 4x100m relays in the same division.

Dahija Mesidor brought the win home for the Knights, stopping the clock at 6:15.02 in the U17 girls 1500m. CV Bethel’s Kenesha Capron came in at 6:45.81 and her fellow teammate Synia Bain ran in at 6:47.81.

Gabriel Johnson and Brian Burrows were the perfect one-two punch for the Knights in the boys’ event. Johnson placed first in 4:47.80 and Burrows came second in 5:03.23. Placing third was Joel McPhee of the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins.

The quartet of Latiesha St Fort, Shamarajah Cummings, Mesidor and Bain cruised into a win in the U17 girls 4x100m relays in 51.58 seconds.

The Stingrays wrapped up second and the CC Sweeting Cobras crossed the line in third.

For the boys’ event, the relay team of Jaydon Williams, Theron Davis, Johathan Higgs and Evenel Luma took care of business in 45.73 seconds for the top spot. The Stingrays were close behind with a time of 45.76 seconds.

The CI Gibson Rattlers secured the third position.

The Pacers claimed victories in the U17 and U20 boys 400m events and the U20 boys’ 4x100m relay. Stanley Pratt pulled off a photo finish in the U17 boys’ 400m finals where he dipped across the line at 53.31 seconds to hold off Higgs from CR Walker.

CV Bethel’s Jaydian Lewis trailed both boys for third. Pratt gave some insight on his mindset while on the track.

“I just wanted to get out hard and relax on the back stretch. When I got the 200m, I picked it up a little bit and when I got to the last 150m, I brought it home,” he said.

The Pacers were strong in the field events, earning wins in the U17 girls’ discus throw, U17 boys’ long jump, U17 boys’ javelin throw and U20 girls’ triple jump.

The Pacers’ Olesia Dryden and Alexis Wright took the top two positions in the discus throw event at 25.18m and 23.01m respectively. Diamond Newbold of Anatol Rogers had a throwing distance of 22.41m.

Egianette Pierre bested competitors in the U20 girls’ triple jump with a leap of 10.63m.

Davonte Charles collected the victory in the U17 boys’ long jump with a height of 5.63m. Lawerence Monetstime put together a winning performance in the U17 boys’ javelin throw with a heave of 34.21m.

Juniors

The Raptors came out strong on the track for day one of the GSSSA Track and Field Championships. The top junior school won four out of six relay events in the U13 through U17 divisions.

They were equally as dominant in the U15 girls and boys 100 and 400m finals.

Raniyah Smith outran her competitors in the U15 girls’ 100m finals with a time of 13.51 seconds. Ormainique Curtis came second for the DW Davis Royals and Azaria Dean concluded third for the HO Nash Lions.

Jamaal Fergson got it done for the Raptors in the boys’ event in 12.04 seconds for first position. Tavares Rolle, of HO Nash, came in at 12.18 seconds and his teammate Melvin Deveaux followed for third.

Samantha Gottshalk and Denzel Clarke earned bragging rights for the Raptors in the U15 girls and boys 400m.

Gottshalk won her race in 1:04.50 and Clarke blew past his competitors for a 57.88 seconds finish.

The U15 girls’ 400m champion was proud of her efforts. “I am proud of myself because I kind of made a comeback and I am very proud of everyone else. I feel very good and I cannot wait to tell my daddy,” she said.

Meanwhile, Clarke was happy to get yet another win for CH Reeves. “I had to push around the 200m because If I did not they were gonna get a big lead and I was going to struggle to finish. I pushed out in front and ended up getting the win for my school,” he said.

The Raptors had good performances off the track as well.

Mckaya Rahming gave CH Reeves a victory in the U13 girls’ long jump with a leap of 4.39m.

Arphaxed Thompson soared to 4.36m in the boys’ event to earn bragging rights for the Raptors.

Kaiden Kemp and David Douglas claimed the first positions in the U15 and U17 boys’ javelin throw events with heaves of 30.68m and 31.80m respectively.

Day two of the GSSSA Track and Field Championships begins at 9:15am this morning at the original TAR Stadium.