By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SOME of the top high school athletes and distance runners displayed their skills in the inaugural Red-Line Athletics’ Cross Country Championships.

The event took place on Saturday morning on a terrain of road, grass, hills and stairs, which affected most of the competitors over the 5-kilometre course around the huge campus of St Augustine’s College. 

Olympian Megan Moss, officially done as a competitor, was on hand to assist her father, Tito Moss - the organiser of the events and the head coach of the Red-Line Athletics. She was quite pleased to see the tremendous turnout of the young and old.

“I think it’s so great that we continue to advance the sport in so many ways,” she said. “This being the first Red-Line Athletics Cross Country, it was so great to see so many competitors out there competing.”

And the majority of the winners expressed their gratitude for getting the opportunity to compete in such an unique event that they hope will become an annual one.

“I feel good. When I was coming up the hill, it was a lot and when I was coming down, it was a lot too,” said 10-year old Cailily Catalyn, the winner of the girls’ under-11 run.

Clinton Brown, a ninth grader in grade five at Temple Christian, was the winner of the boys’ under-11 run. “He noted that “I think I could have done a lot better, but I was tired going up and coming down the hills.”

Haleel Munnings, a seventh grader at Jordan Prince Williams, said she was “happy and okay” with what she did, although “it was hard, but I still made it through.”

Kayden Taylor, a 12-year-old seventh grader at Jordan Prince Williams, said he felt he could have done better after he won the under-13 run. He said he “didn’t like the time” he posted.

Sierra Delancy, a 13-year-old ninth grader at Queen’s College, said she “kept God first” and she did what “my coach told me to do and that was to be dominant” in winning the girls’ under-15 run.

In celebrating his 14th birthday last Thursday, Arjay Roberts, a ninth grader at St Augustine’s College, won the under-15 boys’ run by “running as best as I know how to run. I’m really proud of myself and I’m sure my coach is too.”

Under-17 girls’ run winner Yulianis Akompi, a 16-year-old 11th grader at St Augustine’s College, said it was good to come off a month’s break to “start running again. I felt very good about my performance. I want to make the CARIFTA team next year.”

Tellica Seymour, the under-20 girls’ run winner, said it was a “good way to start off her off-season training,” winning the under-20 girls run because “I’ve been training really hard, so I felt pretty good. I wasn’t expecting the stairs, but I did it very well.”

Middle distance runner Teshon Adderley, preparing for a return to local competition, won the under-40 female run, even though she “came out without any practice, no strategy or any game play, so I was happy with my performance.”

Men’s under-40 run winner Anthony Saunders said he “wanted to try it out and so he came out to see what he could do. It was a good run. I train a lot on the hills, but the stairs were a little difficult.”

Raphaleta Johnson, the female under-50 run winner, said the race was pretty good and “although I’m a little out of shape, it was good. The steps were the most challenging, It was pulling on my legs. But if I had to do it again, I would be ready.”

Brandon LaFleur, the under-50 run champion, said the whole idea was to not pull any muscles, but “because I haven’t ran in a while, I was happy that I made it to the end. Those stairs slowed me down,  lots.”

Male Under-50

Nekeno Demeritte, in winning the under-50 male walk race, said it was all about inspiring the young athletes that he coaches at Temple Christian and Xtreme Track Club, but he noted that “it was quite exciting going up the steps. It was a different type of terrain, but I enjoyed every step of the way doing it.”

Sophia Burrows, the female under-50 walk winner, said “initially, I thought the hills were going to be an issue, but I prepped for this in advance, so there wasn’t any issue. I thought Ian would have some competition, but I didn’t see any today.”

Veteran distance runner Mackey Williams, in winning the over-50 male walk race, said it was a workout for him as he prepares for the Bahamas Half Marathon. He noted that “the course was very nice, well organised. Hopefully they can make it an annual thing.”

In expressing his gratitude for the support received, coach Tito Moss thanked Blue Chips Athletics, Jumpers Inc, Keno Demeritte and Xtreme Athletics, T-Bird Flyers and all of the other clubs who came out.

“We had a fabulous time with an awesome turnout,” he said. “We are already looking towards 2025 when we expect an even bigger turnout with more prizes to give away. We want to put on quality events so persons can patronise our events.”

• Here’s  a look at how the competitors finished in the various age group categories in the event:

Runners

Fastest runner - Benryco Pierre, T-Bird, 4:24.18.

Female under-9 - Daejah Farrington, Red-Line, 4:26; Summer Strachan, Red-Line, 4:27; Casey Smith, Xtreme athletics, 4:50; Dailey Alleyne, Red-Line, 5:30; Female under-11 - Cai-lily Catalyn, Red-Line, 3:43; Hadassa Griffin, Hurry Murray, 3:44; Mikahaila Strachan, Hurry Murrqy, 4:03; Cailya Burrows, Jumpers Inc., 4:14; Camille Brown, Xtreme, 5:00; Gizelle Pearson, Xtreme Athletics, 5:21.

Female under-13 - Haleel Munnings, Hurry Murrqy, 6:01; Kian Duncombe, T-Bird Flyers, 6:02; Blue Gray, Sea Waves, 6:09; Trae McKenzie, Red-Line, 6:29.

Female under-15 - Sierra Delancy, Red-Line, 5:40; Mia Vanderret, King’s College, 6:04; Malaya Pratt, Red-Line, 6:27; Brianna Bootle, Red-Line, 6:33; Symiah Strachan, Red-Line, 6:36; Taraee Forbes, Red-Line, 6:63.

Female under-17 - Yulianis Akompi, Red-Line, 5:59; Ramonique Mclennon, Hurry Murray, 6:00; Breynice Kemp, Hurry Murray, 6:07; Jade Hudson, Red-Line, 6:12; Syrmian Crawley, Red-Line, 6:25; Caitlyn Smith, Red-Line, 6:26.

Female under-20 - Tellica Seymour, unattached, 6:22.16; Kamia Smith, T-Bird, 6:32.93; Byli Major, Red-Line, 7:02.85; Jade Ferguson, Red-Line; Farrah Saunders, Blue Chip; Annae Mackey, Blue Chip.

Female under-40 - Teshon Adderley, unattached; Blair Cambridge; Krissy Evans; Price Kemp; Roselyn Tqylor. 

Female under-50 - Raphaleta Johnson; Alvarez Farrington, Red-line; Tina Rolle, Red-Line; Danika Clarke.

Female over-50 - Kara Butler, Hurry Murray; Tracey Brooks, unattached; Anastacia Johnson, Red-Line.

Male under-9 - Caiden Bain, Unattached, 3:55; Vldez Godet, Hurry Murray, 4:01; Darrell Moxey, Red-Line, 4:17; Keiron Grant, Temple Christian, 4:26; Joshua Ezaugo, Hurry Murray, 4:28; Jason Bain, Temple Christian, 4:29.

Male under-11 - Clinton Brown, Temple Christian, 3:23; Maxmillian Vanderret, King’s College, 3:27; Daniel Ramsey, Hurry Murray, 3:31; Frankie Wright, Red-Line, 3:35; Noah Adderley, Swift Athletics, 3:56; Kenneth Clarke, Temple Christian, 3:57. 

Male under-13 - Kayden Taylor, Hurry Murray, 5:18; Ramonick Mzlennon, Hurry Murray, 5:20; Stanford Sweeting, Unattached, 5:22; Blair Thompson, Sea Waves, 5:25; Torion Turner, Sea Waves, 5:42; Patreco Sherman, Red-Line, 5:52.

Male under-15 - Arjay Roberts, Red-Line, 4:57.39; Denzel Clarke, T-Bird, 4:58; Brandon Hanna, Red-Line, 5:05.42; Zion Roker, Red-Line, 5:1`2.66; nJayden Smith, Sea Waves, 5:17.36; Israel Griffin, Hurry Murray, 5:19.97.

Male under-17 - Kayden Thurston, T-Bird, 4:31.5; Jason Ferguson, Hurry Murray, 4:38.20; Kelunn Francis, unattached, 4:38.74; Tieano Ferguson, Hurry Murray, 4:46.54; Grievance Mixo, Red-Line, 5:03.15; Tahje Johnson, Red-Line, 5:03.70.

Male under-20 - Benryco Pierre, T-Bird, 4:24.18; Breck Kemp, Hurray Murray; Shelvince Jean, T-Bird, 4:33.93; Nathan John, Hurry Murray, 4:44.47; Emmanuel Adams, T-Bird, 4:48.83; Sheran Roker, T-Bird, 4:49.74.

Male under-30 - DeVonta Newbold, 4:31; Fabian Sautil, 4:44; Leonardo Swain, 4:55.

Male under-40 - Anthony Saunders, 6:00.17; Marvin Minns, 6:39.77; Donald Pinder, 6:50.81; Dru Gsrdiner; 6:51.17; Leonardo Forbes, 7:21.53; Kyro Brown, 7:31.73.

Male under-50 - Brandon LaFleur, 10:16.99; Derek Dames, 11:16.22; Robert Gahyle, 11:17.53.

Male over-50 - Odinge Sawyer, 11:02.85; Sean Swain, 11:11.27.

Walkers

Fastest Walker - Mackey Williams, 8:42.56

Female under-30 - Daifo Gaitor, unattached, 14:16.

Female under-40 - Kenderia Brown, Red-Line, 12:09; Delaine Thompson, Red-Line, 12:18; Shandika Knowles, Red-Line, 13:59; Allison Deveaux, Red-Line, 16:09.

Female under-50 - Sophia Burrows, Xtreme Fitness, 11:35; Annia Burrows, Xtreme Fitness, 11:36; Monique Adderley, Xtreme, 13:08; Deondra Butler, Red-Line, 13:18; Kayghia Collie, Red-Line, 13:19; Keisha Patterson-Pratt, Red-Line, 13:20. 

Female over-50 - Denice McKinney, Xtreme, 11:44; Tia Rolle, Xtreme, 12:49; Raquel Adderley, Xtreme, 13:22; Andrea Payant, Unattached, 13:43; Therese Hudson, Red-Line, 13:59; Vinnette Gaitor, Unattached, 14:47.

Male Under-30 - Ashton Duncombe.

Male Under-50 - Nekeno Demeritte, 9:53.87; Donathan Whylly, 11:21.36; Vincent Pratt, 12:14.06; Macnair Beneby, 13:34.32; Simcon Strachan, 14:17.00.

Male Over-50 - Mackey Williams, 8:42.56; Earl Bethel, 9:43.86; Culvert Stevens, 11:20.72; Adrian Curry, 11:21.39; Earl Rahming, 13:01.97.