BSSAC Esther Maynard Zone going down to the wire … Three records fall  

The battle for the Titles in the Esther Maynard Zone of the 2023 Dasani-Powerade Barbados Secondary School Athletic Championships (BSSAC) is going down the wire at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex.

When the dust had settled on Day one on Thursday, only nine (9) points separated the top two Schools in the Boys Standings Combermere (CS) 291 points and the Alleyne School with 282 points. Third in this fight for the top spot is Christ Church Foundation School who are adrift a further 30 points as they sit on 252.

Combermere has a bigger advantage in the Girls title race as they finished Day one at the top of the standings on 294 points. With 23 points less is Christ Church Foundation School who sit in second place on 271. The Alleyne School are third in the Girls standings with 240 points. 

Three Zonal records fell on the day and a high tail wind prevented a fourth from falling. 

Two of those records went to the Alleyne School’s Girls Under-17 athlete Aniya Nurse. She broke the 100m with a new time of 12.08 secs to replace Hannah Connell’s 2016 Zone record of 12.29 secs. She also smashed Sakena Massiah’s 2019 record in the 400m to replace it with a new time of 56.67 secs. 

Kiami-Rae Orford from Alexandra School from Alexandra set a new record of 1.50m in Under-15 Girls high jump. She replaces Kenechi Jederon-Harris 2020 record of 1.47m

Denied a chance to etch his name in the record books was Nikkolai Kennedy (CS) who glided over the Under-20 Boys 110m hurdles to finish in an impressive time of 14.33 secs. This was about a half of a second quicker than the previous record, but the wind reading was 2.1. The highest legal wind is supposed to be 2.0 which means Kennedy was denied the chance to add his name to the record books.  This means the record still stands at 14.89 secs set by Haile-Emmanuel Turney in 2020. 

100m podium finishers on Day 1 

The Under-20 boys 100m was won by Aragon Straker (CS) and T’Shaun Selay (CCFS) each clocked the same time of 10.93 secs but Sealy had to settle for the second place. 

Third was Nathan Brathwaite (CS) in 10.98 secs. 

The Under-17 Boys 100m was won by Jayden Greene (CCFS) in 11.31 secs, while Kriston Nurse (ALL) was second in 11.39 secs and R’Jai Gittens (CS) third in 11.53 secs.

In the Under-17 Girls Division Aniya Nurse won the 100m in 12.08 secs, Second was Nyema Taylor from Combermere School (CS) in 12.70 secs, while Alika Harewood from Christ Church Foundation School (CCFS) was third in 12.71 secs. 

Tonique Fleming (CS) won the Under-20 Girls 100m un 12.31 secs, while Niobe Holder (CCFS) was second in 12.38 secs and Danae Niles (CS) was third in 12.51 secs. 

Esther Maynard Zone BSSAC Day 1 Standings 

Female Team points

Combermere School  CS – 294

Christ Church Foundation School CCFS – 271 

Alleyne School AS – 240 

St. George Secondary School SGSS – 125

Alexandra School AX – 124 

Grantley Adams Memorial School GAMS – 56

Graydon Sealy Secondary School GSSS – 41

Providence School PSS – 11

Male Team Points

Combermere School CS – 291

Alleyne School ALL – 282

Christ Church Foundation School CCFS – 252

St. George Secondary School SGSS – 135

Alexandra School AX – 93 

Grantley Adams Memorial School GAMS – 60

Graydon Sealy Secondary School GSSS – 58

Providence School PSS – 2