Barrouallie Secondary achieves rare double at ISSAC

The Central Leeward Secondary School (Barrouallie Secondary) went on the double for the first time last Friday, April 8, at the 2022 hosting of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA)Inter-Secondary Schools Athletics Championships (ISSAC), staged at the Sir Vincent Beache Stadium at Diamond.

Victor Ludorum – Romaul John (left) Victrix Ludorum- Gailann John(right)

As such the institution, which has won the females title before added the male category at the comeback edition of the Championships.

The school now joins the Dr JP Eustace Memorial (formerly the Emmanuel High School), and the Thomas Saunders Secondary, as those schools which have won both categories of the ISSAC.

Starting as hot favourites, the Barrouallie Secondary tallied 345 points to take the male division ahead of perennial champions, the St Vincent Grammar School on 284 points. Taking the place was the St Martin’s Secondary on 159 points.

In the Female Division, the Barrouallie Secondary was even more dominant, scoring a whopping 414 points miles ahead of second places Girls High School which tallied 211 points. The Troumaca Ontario Secondary School, on 191 points, placed third in this division.

The Junior female champion was Shykeina Dickson of the Barrouallie Secondary- 31 points , with the Thomas Saunders Secondary’s Jayden Wallace who bagged 25 points, emerging as the Junior Male Champion.

Keo Davis – Male Intermediate champion

Zekisha Kelly of the Troumaca Ontario Secondary School was the Intermediate Female Champion having registered 37 points. Junior Carifta games-bound Keo Davis was the Male Intermediate Champion. The St Vincent Grammar School’s Davis won the 100, 200 and 400m to tally 27 points.

The Barrouallie Secondary School copped the Senior Female and Senior Male titles. Gailann John recorded 43 points to take the female award, and Romaul James scored 35 points, to cop the male title. John and James were named as Victrix and Victor Ludorum respectively.

Buoyed by the success of the Barrouallie Secondary School, Physical Education teacher, Chester Morgan was high in praise of his charges.

“ It is a great feeling to be double champions… It is something we have been working on….The hard work we put in paid off as during the onset of the pandemic we ceased with our training; we just modified the number of persons at one time and worked towards being better” Morgan told SEARCHLIGHT.

He added that the double titles was an achievement more than its worth in gold.

“The championships belong to the principal and staff of the school as the school and the community as a whole needed something to rejoice about and it was fitting that it was done at this time”, he said.

Female champions – Barrouallie Secondary School receiving their trophy from Anthony Dennie of the National Lotteries Authority

Morgan added that while he was at the forefront Michael Williams, the field events coach played a pivotal role in the team’s success.

Morgan was humble in his school’s emphatic win in the Championships noting that it was not all about his institution but the other participating schools which made his athletes work harder.

“ I must congratulate the other winners; congratulations to the other coaches who have been doing wonderful work with their athletes”, Morgan, who is also the Technical Director for Team Athletics SVG stated.

He is looking beyond the shores of St Vincent and the Grenadines and plans to take the talents of his athletes’ elsewhere.