By: BVIAA
Basketball player Joy Victor of Lettsome House, was one of a record six females clearing at least 1.50m in the High Jump, with, with Carlisle’s soon to be 13-year old Xiomara “Gia” Malone–who broke her sister Chantel Malone’s division record–clearing the bar at 1.56m, for No. 8 on the All Time List. Lettsome teammate Arianna Hayde, cleared 1.55m to tie for No. 9. Photo: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
After ending a 21-year title drought last year, Lettsome, House I, showed that it was no fluke by repeating as Elmore Stoutt High School Inter-house champions for the first time since 1978 and 1979 in the middle of their only 3-peat. It was their seventh overall title in the 44-year history of the competition.
Sitting in third place at the completion of 24 pre sports day events, Lettsome amassed 834½ points to comfortably win the competition unlike last year when they trailed Flemming by two points–696-694–entering the Long Jump and 4x200m Relays. Flemming, House 3, retained second place with 727. Carlisle, House 4 was third with 679½ with O’Neal, House 2 rounding out the competition with 639.
“This was so special, it wasn’t funny,” Lettsome House’s co-manager Nahasee Chalwell said. “They said it was a fluke (last year) but these kids just came out here and did their jobs. These kids have some big hearts–they even believed they could do things we thought they couldn’t do ourselves–and they did it. This was a great victory–a great victory.”
Chalwell said they knew they don’t do well in pre sports day competition, but, the fact that they were so close–24 points behind early leader Carlisle–they knew they would do better this time.
“We weren’t worried, because our strong point was on Day I, which proved why we came out victorious,” he said.
Lettsome’s athletes Arianna Hayde, Rackeel Jack, Johnta Charles and Nelda Huggins clamed four of the eight division titles at stake, with Hayde and Huggins tying for the Victrix Ludorum with 50 points respectively. Jack’s 48 points gave him the Victor Ludorum.
Notable performances
Jack fended off O’Neal’s Joshua Hill and Carlisle’s Chaz Fahie in the meet’s most exciting race–the U15 Boys 800m to win by 0.03 seconds–2:11.48-2:11.51 with Fahie 0.01 back in 2:11.52.
After an U13 Girls 100m personal best of 13.16 seconds, Flemming’s Zara Brown overhauled Carlisle’s Xiomara Malone to win the 200m by 0.05 seconds–26.81-26.86–a personal best for both.
With Malone taking the High Jump after clearing 1.56m prior to the 2-day competition–the eight best jump all time by a female–the 15 and Under Girls saw stiff competition over the bar. Hayde improved her best from 1.45m to 1.55, with the O’Neal pair of Z’Niah Huthinson and Takara Scatliffe clearing 1.50. Basketball player Joy Victor of Lettsome also cleared 1.50m in the 17 and Under Girls division and Flemming’s Ashley Penn did the same in the 20 and Under Girls class–the first time in the 44-year history of the competition that six females had cleared at least 1.50m.
Akeem Bradshaw of Carlisle House opened his 2015 Triple Jump campaign with a leap of 14.78m.
O’Neal House’s Beyonce DeFreitas, 14, turned in 100 and 200m personal best of 12.43 and 24.85 seconds respectively in securing an U15 Girls double.
Lettsome House’s Javelyn Frett had a huge personal best for a National Scholastic Javelin Throw Record of 37.05m (121’6¾”) improving her best of 26.74m from 2012 for the No. 2 mark on the All Time List.
O’Neal’s Kala Penn had Long and Triple Jumps of 5.40/11.47m respectively for her field double.
Division Awards
13 & Under Girls: Xiomara Malone, Carlisle House 4, 46 points.
13 & Under Boys: Jomoi Levons, Carlisle House 4, – 44.
15 & Under Girls: Arianna Hayde, Lettsome House 1, 50.
15 & Under Boys: Rackeel Jack, Lettsome House 1, 48 points
17 & Under Girls: Kala Penn, O’Neal House 2, & Kelsha Fortune, Flemming House 3, 46.
17& Under Boys: Johnta Charles, Lettsome House 1, 36.
20 & Under Girls: Nelda Huggins, Lettsome House 1, 50 points.
20 & Under Boys: Akeem Bradshaw, Carlisle House 4, 46.
Victor Ludorum: Rackeel Jack, Lettsome House, 48 points.
Victrix: Nelda Huggins, Lettsome House & Arianna Hayde, Lettsome House 1, 50.
