The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Primary Schools Sports Association’s 4th Annual Bertha’s Go-Go Ribs Track & Field Championships got started at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium Monday.

But while it wasn’t the kind of start that organisers had anticipated, association president Nikita Taylor said they are still on course for two more solid days of competition today and Wednesday.

“At the end of the day, everything went okay because we got some of the events off,” Taylor said. “For the next two days, everything should be in order. Teams should be arriving on time, the events should be starting on time and we should be okay for the final two days.”

Many questioned why the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials (BACO) were not in full force to officiate at the meet.

But Taylor said they were informed that because their meet is not on the calendar produced by the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), they had to make special arrangements to hire them and they didn’t get that done in time.

“We have the PE (physical education) teachers from the high schools, who come out and help us, along with some of their students who are familiar in working with the track and field programme,” Taylor said. “So we are trying to make the best of the situation.”

The meet got off to a late start and as a result not all of the events scheduled for day one were contested as the teachers had to transport their students back to school around the closure of school for the day at 3pm.

There were only a few finals contested on the track and some of the field finals were not completed.

In two finals where the results were posted, Ayesha Sylvester of Albury Sayles ran away with the girls B division 1,200 metres in four minutes and 41.08 seconds. Taking second was Jada Woodside of Claridge Primary in 4:43.03 and Anastasia Roach of Sandilands Primary was third in 4:54.09.

In the boys B 1,200m, Yellow Elder’s Omar Kelly took the tape in 4:10.31 as he easily dominated the field. Taking second place was Sandilands Primary’s Ricardo Justin in 4:24.59, while Stephen Dillet’s Lamarre Jean-Louis rounded out the top three in 4:28.53.

More than 20 schools are participating in the meet. Cleveland Eneas are the defending champions.

“It’s hard to say how we will do because right now we have a lot of heats to compete in,” said Cleveland Eneas’ head coach Mariska Thompson. “But we have had some athletes who performed very well in the 800 metres and the 200 metres. We are just waiting to see if they advanced to the final because there were so many heats.”

Thompson said the competition so far in the events contested have been intense, especially in the sprints.

“We are trying to repeat,” she said. “We really won’t know how it looks until after tomorrow’s competition.”

The meet is slated to resume 9:30am today immediately following a brief opening ceremony. It is scheduled to wrap up on Wednesday when the new champion will be crowned.