Naggo Head Primary dethroned Lyssons Primary to win the three-day INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Athletics National Championship, which concluded Wednesday at the National Stadium.
The St Catherine school amassed 196 points from the 40 finals, finishing 25.5 points ahead of St Thomas-based Lyssons Primary, which scored 170.5 points. Greater Portmore Primary (96 points), Spanish Town Primary (82 points), and St. John’s Primary rounded out the top five.
The victory earned Naggo Head Primary $600,000, plus an additional $350,000 for winning the Central Championship. Lyssons Primary, seeking their third consecutive national title, received $350,000 for second place and an additional $350,000 for winning the Eastern Championship.
Kashmar Gunther of Southborough Primary completed the boys’ class one sprint double by winning the 200 metres in 24.58 seconds from lane eight.
Sarah McDonald of Naggo Head won the girls’ class two 200 metres in 26.69 seconds, while Shaquawn Reid of Glen Stuart Primary captured his second gold medal, winning the class two 200 metres in 26.02 seconds.
Jadah-Kay Pitt of Rock Hall won the girls’ class three 150 metres in 20.92 seconds, ahead of Allia Royal of Davis Primary, who finished in 21.05 seconds. Naggo Head’s Ricardo Granville won the boys’ equivalent in 20.46 seconds.
Perez Pearson of St John’s Primary and Roshane Lindsay of John Mills Primary both broke the boys’ high jump record, clearing 1.58m. Pearson later returned to shatter the long jump record set by Wayne Pinnock in 2013, extending the mark from 5.27m to 5.33m.
Odainna Creary set a new girls’ 70-metre hurdles meet record, clocking 11.15 seconds, surpassing the previous mark of 11.80 seconds set by Rememha Dixon.
Naggo Head’s Donte Barrett won the boys’ 70-metre hurdles in 11.04 seconds, ahead of Adrian Phillips of Morant Bay, who finished in 11.15 seconds.
Kensington Primary captured the girls’ medley relay open in a meet record of 2:01.05, well ahead of Swallowfield Primary, which finished in 2:04.24. St. John’s Primary won the boys’ equivalent in a meet record of 1:54.51.
Khalia Raymond of Lyssons Primary was named the overall champion girl, while three boys shared the champion boy crown: Kashmar Gunther of Southborough Primary, Ricardo Granville of Naggo Head Primary, and Shaquawn Reid of Glen Stuart Primary. Each will receive $50,000.
Sports Minister Olivia Grange made a special gesture to Constable Christal Service, whose daughter Shantel Skyers was brutally kidnapped and murdered in 2019. Young Skyers was supposed to have participated in the championship for Red Hill Road Primary that year. On the final day, organizers arranged a commemorative relay race in her honour, with the gold baton passed to her mother, who was left in tears.
