National athletics championships
District Ten does it again
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
March 13, 2004
District Ten (Upper Deme-rara/Kwakwani) captured the Champion of Champions trophy when the curtains came down on the National Schools Track and Field, Cycling and Swimming Championships at the Enmore Community Centre ground yesterday.
However, District 11 (North Georgetown) athlete Cleveland Forde's feat of eclipsing the 12-year record for the boys' open 5000-metres was most noteworthy.
District Ten won the swimming, cycling and track and field championships, while District Four (East Coast Demerara) successfully defended the teachers' title it won in 2002, when the championships were last staged.
District Ten registered 520 points to win the track and field events and 191 points to take the cycling.
District Four amassed 211 points to make a successful defence of the teachers' title.
Forde, who won the boys' open 10K road race on Tuesday and the boys' open 1500-metre event on Wednesday, returned yesterday to break Sheik Mohammed's 1992 record of 15 minutes 50 seconds (15:50) for the 5000-metre race with a blistering run. He returned 15:18.6 to set a new record for the distance.
Forde, who recorded 30 points from three victories, was also declared joint winner of the boys' open category in the Age Group Champion-ships. The other joint winner is Charles Bennings of District Ten who won the boys open 100, 200 and 400-metre races.
On the distaff side, Rhobyn Alleyne of District 11 was declared champion after she recorded 40 points by winning the girls' open 100, 200 and 400-metre races as well as the girls' long jump.
The boys' under-nine age group champion is T. Garraway of District 13 (South Georgetown) who registered 37 points, while on the distaff side, Rosie Chapman of District Nine (Rupununi) came out on top with 26 points.
The boys' under-11 age group champion is K. Norton of District 12 (East George-town), while on the distaff side Keisha Pellew of District 14 (East Bank Demerara) accumulated 26 points to win top honours.
District 12 (East Georgetown) Alanzo Greaves scored 48 points to win the boys' open age group title in the cycling championships, while Shabena Daniels of District 13 with 36 points won the girls' open version.
In the under-15 age group (cycling), Chris Persaud of District 11 registered 30 points to be declared champion, while on the distaff side Allicon Blackman of District Four secured 28 points to win the title.
In the teachers' championships, Astel Melville of District Two (Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon) won the male under-21 title by securing 30 points. There was a tie for the female under-21 title between Karen Duke of District Three (West Demerara) and Melissa Ward of District Six (Corentyne). They each secured 28 points.
In the male 21-30 age group, Derek Prince of District 11 won with 30 points, while Trishel Thomp-son of District Five (West Coast Berbice) secured a similar amount of points to be declared champion.
There was a three-way tie in the male 31-40 age group between K. Richmond, D. Clarke and Raymond Daw who registered 18 points each. On the distaff side, there was a two-way tie between S. Juman and D. Johnson who each registered 20 points.
In the male over-40 age group, Royston McDonald of District Five and Gordon Munroe of District Four tied for first place with 20 points each. Neebert Hale of District Three won the female over-40 title with 20 points.
District Four with 516 points placed second in the track and field championships and District 11 was third with 450 points.
In the cycling championships, District Six with 153 points placed second, District Four with 136 points ended third and District 11 with 89 points finished fourth.
In the teachers' championships, District Six placed second with 197 points and District 11 ended third with 184 points.