Secondary Schools' Track & Field 

Bishops retain Tobago Athletic title

SCARBOROUGH, Tobago: Bishops High School ran away with the top school honours at the Tobago Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships  at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet last week (Feb 24 & 25). Bishops came away with 84 medals (37 gold, 28 silver and 29) to retain the champion title.  With reigning Carifta champion Akanni Hislop and several other Carifta representatives in the line-up Bishops were heavily favoured to beat their opponents.  Scarborough Secondary was second with 58 medals (20, 16, 22) ahead of  Signal Hill Secondary 389(15, 9, 15), Mason Hall Secondary 36 (7, 15, 14), Speyside High 25 (5, 11, 9), University of the West Indies-Sixth form 4 (4, 1, 0), Goodwood High 16 (2, 6, 8) and Roxborough Secondary 4 (1, 1, 2). Bishops boys won 44 medals (19, 15, 10) with the girls amassing 40 (18, 13, 9),

Bishops athletes were dominated the under 18 category capturing nine of the 14 gold medals in the girls division and half of the winners in the boys class. Leading the way for Bishops were Ako Hislop, younger brother of Akanni, and Anya Akili who both captured four individual titles. Ako secured the boys under 18 100m (11.12/-0.4), 200m (22.41/-0.1), 110m hurdles 15.25/-1.5) and 400m hurdles (1:00.50) and then ran a blazing anchor leg in the 4x100m to take Bishops to gold after his team trailed Speyside High at the final hand over. Akili took home the girls under 18 100m hurdles (16.01/-1.9), 400m hurdles (1:06.26), high jump (1.55) and long jump (5.12). She also grabbed gold with the 4x400m team and anchored the 4x100m to silver, narrowly losing to Scarborough. Peaches Stewart also won the girls  under 18 shot put and discus throws while Silini Acosta took the girls under 18 1500m and the girls open 3000m. Bishops also topped the boys under 16 class winning seven of the 13 events. John-Mark Walters (800m/1500m) and Shaquille Benjamin (high jump/long jump) led the way with double victories. In the girls over 18 division Bishops finished with five (of the 11) gold medals with Jamila Potts (100m/200m) contributing with two and anchored the 4x100m to a sensational victory over Scarborough Secondary, making up considerable ground and snatching the gold on the line. The battle for top honours in the boys over 18 division was close as Scarborough Secondary, Bishops and Signal Hill Secondary all won three gold medals each. However, Scarborough finished ahead with five silver, one bronze, compared to the one silver, five bronze by Bishops and one silver, one bronze by Signal Hill. Kerlon Ashby (110m hurdles), Lashawn Roberts (400m hurdles) and the boys over 18 4x100m took gold for Scarborough while Akanni Hislop (100m, 200m) and Edson Moses (discus) were the winners for Bishops. Darren Alfred (400m, 800m) and 4x400m were victorious for Signal Hill.

Bishops, the school for World Championships medallist Josanne Lucas (2009) and Semoy Hackett (2015),  took charge of the relays winning four of the eight 4x100 finals claiming the boys under 14, under 18, girls under 16 and over 18 titles and was second in the boys over 18 , girls under 18 and boys under 16 events. Arch rivals Scarborough had to settle for of two titles (girls under 18 and boys over 18).  Mason Hall (girls under 14) and Goodwood High (boys under 16) claimed the other sprint relay titles. In the 4x400m relays Bishops won three of six races contested:  G O18, G U18 and B U16. Signal Hill (B O18), Scarborough (G U16), Speyside (B U18) and Signal Hill (B O18) were also winners.

Runners-up Scarborough Secondary, the alma mater of 2009 World Championships bronze and 2006 World Junior champion Renny Quow,  also secured the girls under 16 and boys under 14 classes. In the girls under 16 Scarborough won 6 of the 11 events. Safiya John shone with four individual titles (100m13.50/-2.4, 100m hurdles:15.03/-2.0, high jump-1.45, long jump-5.36), was part of the victorious 4x400m and claimed silver with the 4x100m outfit. Bishops finished second with three gold medals as Shanika Belfon won the 200, 400m and helped the 4x100m to victory. In the boys under 14, Scarborough captured three titles with Jaabir Taylor, brother of 2011 World Championships bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Baptiste, taking the 200m. Miguel Taylor (no relation) won the 400m and Micah Pitcher the high jump. Oriel Villarael (B U16-100m/200m), Ayla Stanislaus (G U18-100m200m) were also double champions for Scarborough.

Signal Hill Secondary, the school of double World Championships bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Baptiste (2011/2015),  finished third overall with 38 medals (14, 9, 15) with Latoya Garrick (G U14-100m/200m), Sean Lovell (B U18-discus/javelin) and Darren Alfred (B O 18-400m/800m) emerging as double champions. Carifta champion Tyriq Horsford (B U18) and silver medallist Asha James (G U18) won gold in the javelin.  All of Mason Hall Secondary’s seven gold medals were won by their girls. Jelese Alexander led the haul with victories in the girls under 14 high jump and long jump and then anchored the 4x100m two gold. Alexander also won silver in the 100m and 200m. Anika Busby (G U16-shot put), Schrese Trim (G U18-400m), Natalie Nedd (G O18-javelin) and Lloysha Simon (G Open-1500m walk)  were the other gold medallists.

On the other hand the boys delivered for Speyside High’s five titles won. Tyshawn Gray took the boys under 18 400m and led his school’s 4x400m outfit to victory. He also earned silver in the 200m and the 4x100m 200m and third in the 100m. Miguel Hackett (B O18-1500m) Rekeil Stewart (B O18-long jump) and Konnel Jacob (B U18-shot put) struck gold for Speyside. 

Pentecostal Light and Life copped six titles as Carifta silver medallist Vandal Joseph (B O18-javelin), Jo-Ranel Reid (B O18-discus), Ryan Campbell (B U14-long jump),

Breanna Vincent (G U14-400m), Shekera Kirk (G U14-shot put) and Shadyel Trim (G U16-1500m) all secured gold.

UWI-Sixth Form fielded a three member team and won four gold medals and one silver with Chevelle McPherson was responsible for four of the five medals. The 2015 Carifta representative won the girls over 18 long jump (4.93), shot put (9.77) and discus (33.24). She missed out a fourth in the 200m when she finished second. Carifta bronze medallist Omari Benoit collected the fourth gold in the boys open high jump.

Goodwood High’s two titles came through Darrion Williams (B U18-800m) and the boys under 16 4x100m. Roxborough Secondary, the school of national 800m record holder Sherridan Kirk and national footballer Cyd Gray (who also competed at the Carifta Games) won their lone gold as Angel Nixon took the girls under 16 discus.

Download copies of the results here:

• Individual Results
• Results by school

Article and photos submitted by:
Clayton Clarke
Sportscore Tobago
(1-868)-321-6195/320-6502