Olliver showing promise
Sports
December 18, 2009
Olliver showing promise

Lenesha Olliver was the selection committee’s choice for the Team Athletics SVG’s Calvert Woods Award for being the Most Promising Athlete when that organization held its annual awards ceremony last Saturday afternoon at the Rush Restaurant and Bar.{{more}}

Olliver is a first form student at the Campden Park Secondary School, but it was her exploits as a student of the C W Prescod Primary School that propelled her to national recognition.

Olliver represented this country in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Juvenile Championships in the Bahamas last June.

At her first national outing, Olliver participated in the Under-13 category. After missing the High Jump and the 60m dash because of flight difficulties, she placed seventh in the Baseball Throw with a distance of 36.31m. She finished 16th in the Long Jump. She won her heat in the 800m, but finished 14th in that same event.

On the local front, the 12-year-old performed creditably at the National Relay Classics, and was the Victrix Ludorum at the CW Prescod Primary School Inter House Athletics Meet.

On receiving her award, the petite Olliver told SEARCHLIGHT that she was happy to be a recipient, and plans to continue to train hard with her coach Byron Quamina.

She also said that female athlete, Jamaican born American Sanya Richards is her track idol.

Apart from Olliver, Nadia Browne scooped the Volunteer of the Year award.

Manson Shortte, who successfully coached the Biabou Methodist School to the Kids in Athletics title, was awarded the Gloria Ballantyne trophy of Coach of the Year.

Berkley Roberts, whose love for sports is unwavering, received the Technical Official of the Year award. It was Roberts’ second successive recognition, as the previous weekend he received the Dr. Kenneth Antrobus award from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association for his patronage to local Cricket.

The Divisional champions and overall top performers in the Mustique Company National Club Championships, and the Juvenile Championships, were X -Ceed Sports Club and the Kingstown Preparatory School.

The Keynote Speaker at Saturday’s event was President of the North America Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Jamaican Neville “Teddy” Mc Cook.

Also addressing the ceremony were President of Team Athletics SVG, Keith Joseph, and National Olympic Committee President, Trevor Bailey.

The major winners of TASVG Awards, Junior Athlete of the Year Delhonni Nicol- Samuel; Junior Female Athlete of the Year, Nadia Delpesche; Senior Female Athlete of the Year, Lisa Daniel and Pamenos Ballantyne, Senior Male Athlete, will automatically be the nominees at the 2009 National Sports Awards set for the first quarter in 2010. (RT)