New Providence Primary are champions of the 34th INSPORTS/SEPROD Primary Schools Athletics Championship, as they secured their first hold on the elusive title for the first time in history.
Kingston based New Providence dethroned five-time champions Naggo Head, topping the table after amassing 222 points more than 40 points clear of Naggo Head who were denied a six straight title in the process.
Naggo Head finished on 182.75 points, while Greater Portmore ended third with 139 points, ahead of fourth-placed Harbour View on 66.75 points.
Debutants Black River of St Elizabeth finished a commendable fifth with 66.75 points.
Sprint prodigy Anthony Haslam was unquestionably the biggest discovery at these championships, bagging four gold medals. The 12-year-old, whose running style is likened to the iconic Usain Bolt, was in a league of his own, outclassing his rivals to capture the Class One boys’ 100m and 200m before helping New Providence to the 4x100m relay gold and as well as the 4x200m.
Though he didn’t break any individual records, Haslam blew away his rivals to win the 100m in 12.53 seconds, while Greater Portmore’s Daniel Chambers, 13.11 took silver and Chadwick Stewart (13.13) of Frankfield claiming bronze. In the 200m Haslam won comfortably in 24.32 ahead of Lluidas Vale’s Isaac Scott (25.75) and Rudon Bowen (25.78) of Spanish Town.
Haslam ran the backstretch in the his team’s impressive win in the 4x100m relays before anchoring them to a new record of one minute 41.73 second in the 4x200m. That time eclipsed the old mark of one minute 44.60 seconds set by Angels Primary in 2008.
A total of eight records were broken – seven of which were achieved on the final day. All except for the boys’ 800m final came in the relays with New Providence accounting for four of the records.
Class One athlete Ashanti Clarke of Harbour View was one of three double winners, taking the 100m and 200m sprint double, as did Javian Johnson in the boys’ Class Two and Brianna Lyston in the Girls’ Class Three.
