Two days of competition were keenly contested by all the schools as they battled for the right to be named Champions. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

As tension built on day 2 each athlete pushed themselves to the point of winning peformances with not one willing to cede points or even inches to their rivals. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

The Girls, across all Divisions, produced some of the best and tightest finishes, leaving nothing but the sweat and pain of performance on the track. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

As the dust settled on two long days of competition amongst the schools in the A, B and C Divisions, each of the Champion Schools was decided down the homestretch to screams and shouts of encouragement from the packed main stand.

In the C Division, Agape Total Life pipped Jost Van Dyke Primary School by just 6 points, scoring 366 to the sister islands’ 360. In third place were First Impression on 189; fourth were Claudia Creque (167) and fifth Pelican Gate on 128.

In the B division, Alexandrina Maduro were crowned Champions as they scored 377 points, just two ahead of Joyce Samuel Primary on 375. Ivan Dawson came home third with 290 points and Isabella Morris were fourth with 269. In fifth place came Leonora Delville on 262, sixth were Robinson O’Neal on 148 and Cedar School came seventh with 80.

Perennial Champions Althea Scatliffe duly claimed their Title in the A division with 461 points, leading home Enis Adams Primary on 351, Ebenezer Thomas on 315 and Francis Lettsome on 310. Willard Wheatley came fifth with 307 points and Bregado Flax scored 272 for sixth. St Georges finished on 236 points and seventh place.

Bryea Walters was named as Division a Victrix with 46 points whilst Wanye Bell and J’Quann Smith, both from Althea Scatliffe, shared the Victor title with 40 points apiece.

The Champions in the U9’s were Akeela McMaster of Enis Adams Primary School with 28 points and T’koy Stevens of Bregado Flax with 31 points. In the U11’s, Denbigh Williams of Brigade Flax Primary, with 38 points and Wanye Bell of Althea Scatliffe with 40 points.

In the U13’s Zara Brown of Althea Scatliffe was female Champion with 40 points and  J’Quann Smith the Boy’s Champion with 40 points. U15 titles went to Bryea Walters and Cletus Bannis of Enis Adams Primary with 34 points.

In the B division, the Victrix was Shymmera Forbes of Alexandrina Maduro Primary with 50 points and the Victor Sanjay Henry of Joyce Samuel with 30 points.

Individually, the U9 Champions were Kieanjah Roberts of Joyce Samuel Primary with 28 points and Henry with his 30. In the U11’s, Forbes took the female title with Jarron Robinson of Ivan Dawson Primary taking the Boys title with 28 points. The U13 titles went to Teneisha Chalwell of Joyce Samuel Primary with 30 points and Malik Collins of Robinson O’Neal Primary with 22 points.

The U15 Girl and Boy Champions were Shawana Forbes of Joyce Samuel Primary with 30 points and Eric Bobb of Leonora Delville Primary with 28 points.

In the C division, there was a three way tie for Victrix with Triona Palmer and Edeisha Chinnery, both of Jost Van Dyke Primary and Deborah Smith of Agape all notching 30 points. The Victor was also shared with Lionel Smith of Claude Creque and Riquan Garraway of Pelican Gate both scored 30 points.

The Under 9 Champions were Crisbely Welsh of  Agape with 22 points and Mikkel Hastic of Claudia Creque with 28 points. In the U11’s, Palmer took the Girls title with Garroway taking the Boys. In the U13’s, Smith took the Girls Championship whilst Malik Collins of Robinson O’Neal Primary was Boys Champion with 22 points. In the U15’s Chinnery was Girls Champion with Smith taking the Boys title.

Two very long days had certainly proved a challenge for the organizers and even though there were some delays and other hiccups along the way, overall the event will go down as one of the most exciting in recent memory.

The plan to start in the afternoon ostensibly to allow parents to watch their children and also to lessen the effects of the sun worked brilliantly as the crowds were huge at the culmination of both days action. Some events took a long time to complete, the changes to entrants took a while to sort out and whoever reviews such things will need to sit down and decide on a future format to improve the competitive edge of the races, throws and jumps.

However, this Championship will go down as hugely successful even if it’s just for the memory of the runners responding to the crowd down the back straights and the smiles on the competitors faces as they proudly represented their schools.