Carlotta Benjamin erased the five-year women’s 400-metre record set by 2003 Pan American Games bronze medalist Marian Burnette to be crowned champion female athlete of the Guyana Police Force’s 50th Annual Track and Field Championships which ended yesterday at the Police Sports Club, ground.

Headquarters’ Andre Blackman (right) romps home to a comfortable 100-metre victory over Brennon Thompson (left) and O. Lewis at the Guyana Police Force’s 50th Annual Track and Field Championships, staged at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary (Lawrence Fanfair photo).

Contesting yesterday’s female 400-metre event, Benjamin clocked one minute 02.3 seconds (1:02.3) to erase the 1:08.61 set by Burnette in 1998.

The feat was mainly responsible for Benjamin capturing the Best Female’ award, since `B’ Division’s C. James also won three events to amass 30 points.

Andre Blackman, who accumulated 30 points, was crowned champion `A’ Class Male Athlete while B. Leitch was named champion `B’ Class male athlete ahead of L. Kennedy. Blackman also broke the 400-metre record yesterday when he returned 49.2 seconds to erase the 49.3 seconds set by K. Hughes of Antigua in 1998.

Benjamin’s feat also contributed to Headquarters amassing 465 points to retain the `B’ Class championship trophy.

In the `A’ Class competition, Guyana made a successful defence of their title in a two-country race that involved Grenada. Guyana tallied 180 points while Grenada registered 76 points.

`A’ Division (325) finished second in the `B’ Class competition, while `B’ Division (220) and Country Division (182) placed third and fourth respectively.

Grenada’s M. Modeste was adjudged the `Best Overseas Athlete’. He secured 31 points.

Dwayne Walcott of Country Division and Headquarters’ Colin Mercurius both registered 28 points to share the runner-up position in the `A’ Class competition.

The best male Police Youth Club Member (YCM) athlete on show during the three-day championships was Trevor Scotland with 30 points, while on the distaff side, Diane Munroe came out on top.

After winning the 800 and 1500-metre events on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, Benjamin came back yesterday to add the 400-metre title to her name. D. Fraser was second and C. Butcher third.

Blackman won the 100, 200 and 400-metre events while Leitch won the 200 and 400-metre `B’ Class races yesterday and finished second in the 800-metre race on Tuesday.

Blackman clocked 10.4 seconds in winning the 100m event from Brennon Thompson and O. Lewis respectively while he returned 21.3 seconds for the 200-metre race. Thompson also placed second in the 200m, while T. Black was third.

Walcott and Lewis placed second and third respectively to Blackman in the 400-metre event yesterday.

Other outstanding performances yesterday came from Carifta Games 5000-metre gold medalist Clevland Forde who won the 1500-metre male invitational race in 4:13.1. Lionel D’Andrade finished a distant second while Jevon Eastman placed third.

On the distaff side, Jennifer Chichester clocked 4:53.7 to finish ahead of Delsie Dick and Larlisa Atkinson-Shabaz respectively.

In other selected results from yesterday’s 49-race finals: (800m female invitational) D. April (2:32.8), Delsie Dick, Leslinn Qualis; (800m male invitational) R. Duncan (2:13.3), S. Sandiford, B. Smith, (100m YCM female) Munroe (12.1), A. Niles, K. Lamazon, (100m YCM male) K. Williams (10.7), D. Farley, K. Trotman, (100m female police) C. James (12.7), K. Edwards, A. Hossanah, (100m `B’ Class) M. Newland (11.5), D. Farley, B. David, (200m female) C. James (27:0), C. Thomas, (200m `B’ Class) Leitch (23:00) C. Parris, D. Farley.