Champs return to podium at inter-schools track meet

The Thomas Saunders Secondary School did not only retain the female division of the 2013 National Lotteries Authority inter- secondary schools track and field championships, but held on to three of the four divisional titles won in the 2012 edition.{{more}}

The school finished on 288 points to keep hold of the female title, leaving the Girls’ High School in second place with 212 points, and the Bethel High School third, with 199.

And, as in 2012, the Thomas Saunders Secondary owed their tally to the efforts of Shaffiqua Maloney, Nicky Ann Stephens and Kerina Hooper, who together contributed 138 individual points of the 288 recorded by the school.

Maloney notched up 51; Stephens – 47 and Hooper – 40. Last year, the trio registered 45, 57 and 45 points respectively. They contributed 147 points of the school’s overall total of 242.

In 2012, Maloney was crowned under-14 champion, Stephens – the under-21 champion and Victrix Ludorum and Hooper – the under-17 winner.

Last Thursday, Maloney, who moved up to the under-17 age category, claimed that division’s top award, as well as the Victrix Ludorum title, while Stephens was again crowned under-21 champion.

It was Stephens’ third successive divisional title, as in 2011 she had claimed the under-17 award.

The other divisional title which came the Thomas Saunders’ way, was pouched by Rogike Thorpe, who was also the champion in 2012.

Thorpe in his last year as an under-17, registered 33 points.

While the Thomas Saunders Secondary School was able to take the female title, the school’s male athletes failed to repeat the performance that made them lift back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.

According to coach of the Thomas Saunders Secondary School team Kamal Hunte, this was because they were unable to procure more athletes in the finals.

Hunte lauded his charges for their “confidence and assertiveness”, and wished their talents could be harnessed to the point of them becoming national and extend to the regional and international scenes.

Hunte said he relished the new experience to lead the team and thanked the school’s physical education teacher Godfrey Harry and the rest of the management team for the opportunity in his new role.(RT)