The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The Queen’s College Comets are one step closer to repeating as BAISS Track and Field champions for the first time in history, but will have to fend off their rivals St. Augustine’s College Big Red Machine in order to do so.

Heading into the final day of competition at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium, the Comets have totalled 786 points, just ahead of the Big Red Machine in second place with 761 points.

QC held a 28-point lead after day one and SAC chipped away slightly to trim that deficit to 25 points, setting the stage for an epic finish today in the meet’s finale.

The standings remained unchanged for the rest of the 12-team field.

The St Anne’s Blue Waves are third with a total of 170.50 points, followed closely by their sister school’s St John’s College Giants in fourth with 157.50 points.

The Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders complete the top five with 139 and the Jordan Prince William Falcons round out the list of teams with three digit scores with 106 points.

The remainder of the field includes the Temple Christian Suns (92.50 points), St Andrew’s School Hurricanes (68 points), Kingsway Academy Saints (51 points), Aquinas College Aces (33.50 points), Charles W Saunders Cougars (12 points) and Westminster College Diplomats (three points).

At last year’s historic meet, which saw the Comets put an end to the Big Red Machine’s 26-year domination, they took an 84.50 point lead into day three.

The Comets’ Charisma Taylor continues to impress, as she achieved the CARIFTA standard in the U-18 Girls long jump, just a day after qualifying in the 100m hurdles. Her first  place leap of 5.59m surpassed the standard of 5.40m. Her teammate Daejha Moss finished second with a leap of 5.00m.

In the Senior Boys javelin, the Comets’ Edward Kemp followed up day one’s dominant performance with first place and a throw of 52.26m. He finished ahead of teammate Branson Rolle at 51.92mm and Dale Roye at 50.56m.

The Big Red Machine’s Serena Brown brought her dominance from the basketball court to the throwing circle. A previous CARIFTA qualifier in the event, she threw 13.52m to surpass the standard once again. Her teammate Tiffany Hanna was second with 11.24m.

The 100m also highlighted competition on day two.

In the Intermediate Boys event, Adrian Curry of the Big Red Machine dipped below the U-18 CARIFTA standard of 10.90secs. He finished first in 10.89secs, followed by Max Azor of Queen’s College in 10.94secs and Godfrey Arthur of St. Anne’s in third in 11.14s.

The Comets’ Samson Colebrooke headlined the Senior Boys race with a time of 10.79secs, followed by a pair of Big Red Machine teammates – Tavonte Mott with 10.83secs and Duane Murray in 10.94secs.

The Intermediate Girls also featured a CARIFTA qualifier as the Blue Waves’ Devine Parker surpassed the U-18 mark (12.00) in his first place finish of 11.99secs. The Big Red Machine’s Tyler Lightbourne was second in 12.30secs.

Comets and Big Red Machine competitors swept all but four events yesterday – only Javain James of Prince William winning the Bantam Boys shot put with a throw of 9.43m and Jordan Lewis of Temple Christian winning the Intermediate Boys shot put with a throw of 12.64m

The Big Red Machine took both senior 3,000m races as Gabriella Thompson won the girls’ event in 13:04.80s and Ryan Bethel was victorious in the boys in 10:18.45s.

Full event results can be found daily at www.tekresults.net.

The Comets lead six of eight divisions headed into the final day of the meet which begins today at 9am.

Points Standings

1.QC Comets 786

2.SAC Big Red Machine 761

3.St Anne’s Blue Waves 170.50

4.St John’s Giants 157.50

5.NCA Crusaders 139

6.JPW Falcons 106

7.TC Suns 92.50

8.St Andrews Hurricanes 68

9.Kingsway Saints 51

10.Aquinas Aces 33.50

11.CW Saunders Cougars 12

12.Westminster Diplomats 3