By TENAJH SWEETING
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
The 30th annual Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) track and field championships will make its return to the Thomas A Robinson stadium at 9:15am today.
Despite the ongoing repairs to the country’s national stadium ahead of the April CARIFTA Games, the championships are expected to start bright and early this morning.
Day one of the 2023 track and field championships will feature a number of prelims and finals for both the track and field events.
Virginia Romer, president of the New Providence Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools, talked about the excitement surrounding the competitive nature of this year’s GSSSA.
“Excitement is in the air for the return of GSSSA, coaches and students are looking forward [to it] as well as our sports-minded parents,” Romer said.
In track action, GSSSA attendees can expect to see junior athletes go head-to-head in the prelims for the under 13 girls and boys 100 metre dash. The under 15 girls and boys will compete in the short race as well.
With 16 schools expected to battle in this year’s track and field championships, including eight junior schools and eight senior schools, Romer said A.F. Adderley and S.C. McPherson will look to dethrone the reigning champions C.H. Reeves Raptors. The Raptors won the last GSSSA track and field championships for the junior division and also captured the GSSSA basketball championships for the junior girls. The Raptors will look to crush the competition in the three-day meet.
Attendees can expect to see this competitive action on display in day one’s track event finals.
The under 13 girls and boys will put up a fight in the 1,200m run bantam finals. Also, the juniors are expected to fight to the finish in day one’s 100m dash finals for the under 13 and 15 girls and boys. Romer gave a word of advice to young athletes ahead of this week’s track and field events.
“My advice to athletes is to just go out and give their best. Ongoing training leading up [to] this event will pay off,” Romer said.
Athletes will look to give it their all in the under 17 and 20 girls and boys senior division of the 100m finals.
With athletes seeking to try their best on the track and field to qualify for Easter weekend’s 50th CARIFTA games, Romer added that she hopes to see athletes do just that.
Day one’s track event finals will also include the highly anticipated relays for the junior and senior division.
The CR Walker Knights, reigning GSSSA champs for the senior schools, will look to make a big impact on day one in the under 17 and 20 girls and boys 4x100m relays. GSSSA attendees can also look forward to competitive action in the 4x100m relays for the under 13 and 15 girls and boys.
The track and field championships are expected to begin with the under 15 boys high jump field event.
The ticket prices for this year’s GSSSA are $10 for the VIP section, $5 for the general public, and $3 for high school students.
The public is encouraged to attend as athletes will look to compete hard against each other in various track and field disciplines.
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