By Anthony Foster in St, John, Antigua
Thirteen-year-old Joella Lloyd continues to prove she is the best sprinter in Antigua and Barbuda. On Saturday’s second and penultimate day of the 2016 Calvin Greenaway Coca-Cola Inter-Schools Championships, the Antigua Girls High student/athlete destroyed the field to take her fourth straight Under-15 girls’ 200m final in 24.36.
Lloyd’s comment after the final was “the plan was to run the curve and finish strong.” Soniya Jones of Princess Margaret Secondary was second in 24.74 while Dahlia Barnes of Island Academy finished third in 25.91.
Jamaican born Roosevelt Bryan of Antigua Grammar School who trailed Razeem Richards of Sir McChesney (Barbuda) into the homestretch of the Under-15 boys’ final, finished strong to take the top spot in 23.50. Richards was second in 24.09 and Zawandi Weatherhead of Clare Hall Secondary, third in 24.79.
Princess Margaret Secondary’s Gabrielle Davis was left coming off the curve, but bounced her way ahead in the last 15 metres, to take the Under-18 girls’ final in 26.29. Breanna Roberts of Christ the King High, who led coming into the straight, finished second with 26.42 and Unique Raleford of Princess Margaret, third in 26.59
Darion Skerritt of St. Joseph's Academy was the top Under-18 boy with 21.90 over Ramadin Alexander of Clare Hall Secondary 22.10 and Barak Matthew of Princess Margaret, third, 22.12.
The Under-20 girls’ final was slower than Under-15 and Under-18, but proved very competitive up to the last 10 metres between eventual winner Onecia Francis of Princess Margaret 26.47, Ottos Comprehensive pair of Anika Matthew 26.81 and Trishan Grant 27.18, were second and third, respectively.
The Under-20 boys’ 200m had its own excitement as Jared Donaldson of Antigua Grammar School took the title in 22.08 ahead of Malcolm Marshall of Ottos Comprehensive, 22.33 and Marli King of Antigua Grammar School, 22.36
In the girls’ 3000m open, Abbe Davis of Princess Margaret came out on top in 11:36.08 ahead pf Malika Maynard of Clare Hall Secondary 12:46.42.
In the 800m, Stephan Desuza of Princess Margaret 2:04.62 beat Dorland Jacobs of Antigua Grammar School 2:06.86 for the Under-20 title. Cortez Jerrick, 2:01.94 finished ahead of his Princess Margaret Secondary’s teammate Kalique St. Jean 2:02.94 in the Under-18 final while Olandre Richards of St. Joseph's Academy, 2:14.56 got in before teammate Josh Small, 2:21.28 in the Under-15 final.
Abbe Davis of Princess Margaret 2:28.48 recorded the day’s best time to win the Under-18 girls’ 800m final. She beat Keshara Doxon of Christian Faith Academy, 2:45.79
Nia Coates of Christ the King came across from the high jump area, where she finished second, to win the Under-15 girls' 800m final in 2:34.60 ahead of Ottos Comprehensive's Jodice Martin 2:44.02.
Anya Friday of Princess Margaret Secondary, 2:45.19 topped the Under-20 girls' 800m final ahead of Karina Simon of Ottos Comprehensive, 2:48.50.
In the night’s final event, Dorland Jacobs Jr., Marli King, Jared Donaldson and Roosevelt Bryan combined for Antigua Grammar to win the boys’ open 4x400m final in 3:30.10 ahead of Princess Margaret 3:32.67 and St Joseph's Academy 3:34.55
Gabrielle Davis, Ryanne Small, Annya Friday and Unique Raleford formed Princess Margaret quartet to take victory in the girls’ 4x400m open in 4:13.60 ahead of Ottos Comprehensive 4:16.23 and Christ the King High.
In the field, Alexis Nicholas of Princess Margaret cleared 1.43m to take the Under-15 girls’ high jump, beating Nia Coates of Christ the King 1.40m and Jakeira Griffith of Clare Hall Secondary 1.30m
