SMS are double crown champs of BSSAC Frank Blackman Zone

After Two years of either a truncated championships or none at all the St. Michael School (SMS) Cougars stormed to a Double crown victory when the curtains came down on the Wibisco Frank Blackman Zone. 

The second and final day of the first Zone out the blocks in the 2023 Powerade/Dasani Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championship (BSSAC), saw the Cougars convincingly winning the Girls title by well over 200 points and holding off a strong challenge from Queen’s College (QC) to win the Boys title.

Conditions were once again hot as SMS scorched the track holding an unassailable lead after Day one with 339 points and finishing the Zone with 544 points in the Girls section. 

Their Closest rival was also their loudest rival in the stands which were QC who along with SMS brought the largest spectator support over the two days. QC finished well adrift with 294 points as they did not even reach SMS first day points tally. 

Third in the Zone was Coleridge and Parry (CP) with 246 points, fourth was Princess Margaret (PM) Secondary School with 236 points and fifth was Lester Vaughan (LV) with 207 points. 

The final points standings in the boys saw the same top three finishers as in the Girls and they were SMS 370 points, QC second with 336, CP with 323 points was third, fourth Lester Vaughan (LV) with 268 and fifth Daryll Jordan with 208.5 points. 

There were a number of sprint doubles as well as middle distance doubles throughout the two days. Some of the outstanding athletes were QC’s Danari Griffith who won two golds and one silver in the Boys Under-13 Division. Griffith won the 100m (12.97 secs), and the 400m (63.61 secs), while placing second in the 200m (26.70 secs). His 100m time of 12.97 secs was mere spilt seconds off the Zone record of 12.90 secs set by Shamari Addison in 2019, 

Carifta bound Josiah Parris (SMS) completed the double in the Boys Under-20 Division when he won the 200m (21.75 secs) and the 400m (49.60 secs). Parris denied his schoolmate Jadon Pearce from capturing the double himself as Pearce had won the 100m (11.32 secs) in a photo finisher decider but had to settle for second place in the 200m (22.02 secs) to Parris blistering time from the heat before.  Parris time of 21.75 secs was a mere spilt seconds off the Zone record of 21.54 secs set by Kentoine Browne in 2016.

Josiah Gill (QC) in the Boys Under-15 won the 100m (11:89 secs) and the 200m (24.47 secs). His 100m time of 11.89 secs was just shy of the Zone record of 11.68 secs set by Jaquan Pilgrim in 2020. 

The Boys Under-17 was swept by CP as Kaden Dowrich-Roach won the 200m (22.39 secs) and the 400m (51.01 secs), while Kamari Johnson won the 800m (2:05.29) and the 1500m (4:38.36).

In the Girls Under-15 it was Alexus Mascoll (LV) who completed the sprint double winning the 100m (12.72 secs) and the 200m (25.89 secs). 

In the girls Under-20 QC’s Nya Browne picked up three gold medals as she won the 200m in 24.81 secs, the 100m winner in 12.60 secs and the 100m hurdles (14.36 secs).  

Brieanna Boyce (SMS) won the 400m (59.64 secs) and the 400m hurdles in 69.77 secs and was second in the 200m in 25.35 secs. 

Girls Under-17 200m  Princess Margaret’s Ariel Archer won in 25.26 secs and also won the 400m (61.11 secs).