Athletes maximise use of mini meet

Local track athletes showed up Saturday at the Arnos Vale 2 Playing Field, to be part of the first in a series of Team Athletics SVG mini meets.{{more}}

Several schools and clubs took the opportunity to get their athletes engaged in some competitive action early in the new year.

Saturday’s mini meet featured mainly distance events, namely the 150 meters, 300 metres, 600 meters and 1000 metres, as well as the 4 x 200 metres relay.

The 600 meters and 1000 meters were for the older competitors only.

The age groups contested were Under 8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-19, and 20 and over.

The athletes are warming up for the upcoming local track and field season, the various schools’ athletics championships, as well as regional and international events.

Among the secondary schools represented were Central Leeward, St Vincent Grammar School, St Martin’s, Emmanuel High Mespo, Bishop’s College, Georgetown, Sandy Bay, Thomas Saunders, and St Vincent Community College.

Layou Government led the way among the primary institutions, along with St Mary’s, Buccament and Petersville, while X-Cel was the lone club with representation.

Team Athletics is also using the mini meets to keep the several level one coaches who were certified in 2012 active and gauge their progress.

St Vincent and the Grenadines will also host the 2013 Windward Islands schools’ games and reports are that extra efforts are being made to ensure a better showing is made by the host — especially in the track and field component of the multi-discipline event.

The next event on the calendar of Team Athletics SVG is the Throws Classic, set for this Saturday, January 19, also at the Arnos Vale 2 venue.

And, crowning off this month’s agenda is the Kids in Athletics area meet on January 25 in Biabou. (RT)