Nineteen-year-old Verrol Sam of the Xcel Track Club broke the St Vincent and the Grenadines national high jump record on Wednesday, April 5, with a clearance of 2.09 metres. The record fell at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) Invitational Track and Field Championships at the Diamond Track.

Sam, who hails from Petit Bordel told SEARCHLIGHT that he was aiming for a height of 2.15 metres, and is very disappointed that he did not clear 2.13 metres. He recently returned from studies at the Kingston College in Jamaica, and aims to return to training soon.

Sam had already reset the national high jump record with a 2.05-metre leap, and then cleared 2.09 metres minutes later. In setting the record on Wednesday, Sam broke his own record of 2.05 metres that he jumped in 2022 at the Corporate Area Meet in Jamaica, while he was a student at Kingston College.

Kriston Wyllie (right) storms to a new 800-metre meet record (photo by Robertson S Henry)

In addition to Sam’s new National High Jump record, six new St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College records were established, along with the crowning of a new overall champion.

Malakye Nero of the Division of Technical and Vocational Education set a new 1500-metres record in a time of 4 minutes, 17.27 seconds, erasing the previous record of 4 minutes, 20.19 seconds set by Rothwell John in 2016.

Then the diminutive figure of Kriston Wyllie touched the hearts of the crowd when he eclipsed the 800-metres record of 2 minutes 02.25 seconds which was set a week ago by Simon James, with a new time of 2 minutes 00.79 seconds.

In addition to these two records, the Mustangs Track Club was responsible for establishing the other four new records, which all came in the relays.

Mustangs’ first record of the day came in the Female 4×100-metres relay with a new record time of 52.08 seconds, erasing the old time of 52.15 seconds which was set by the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 1.

Then in the Male 4X200-metres relay, the previous time of 1 minute 38.55 seconds which was established by the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 1, was reset with a new time of 1 minute 35.24 seconds.

The third relay record was in the female 4X200-metres with a new record time of 1 minute 56.22 seconds erasing the old mark of 1 minute 58.14 seconds which was established by the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies Year 2.

Then to cap off a most fruitful day, the Mustangs fourth record was set in the final race of the day- the Female 4×400-metres relay. The new record time was 4 minutes 33.55 seconds, erasing the old mark of 4 minutes 53.89 seconds which was set by the Division of Technical and Vocational Education Year 1.

At the end, the Mustangs Track Club amassed 264 points to be crowned overall meet champions. The Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies Year 2 came in second with 211 points, while a rejuvenated Division of Technical and Vocational Education took the third spot with 167 points.

Mustangs Track Club topped the Female category with 150 points; followed by the Division of Nursing who fought their way to second place with 81 points; while Division of Technical and Vocational Education came in third with 79 points.

The Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 2 retained the top spot in the Male Division with 143 points; the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 1 had to settle for second spot with an even 100 points; the Mustangs Track Club placed third with 94 points.

The top female athlete at the meet was Teia Laborde of Mustangs Track Club who amassed 30 points.

Jaantje Edwards Barry of the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 1 was second in the female category with 20 points; while Orianne Ambris of the Division of Technical and Vocational Education and Destra Browne of the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 2 tied for third with 19 points each.

Andros Dennie of the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 2 topped the Male Division with 28 points, followed closely in second spot by Darren Morgan-Jeffers also of the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (DASGS) Year 2 with 26 points. Malakye Nero of the Division of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE) placed third with 25 points.

The presentation of the remaining awards is scheduled to take place today Friday April 14, at 1:00 p.m., at the Villa Campus Student Union Building.