COMBERMERE & ST MICHAEL SCHOOL ARE BSSAC CHAMPIONS

by David Harris

Combermere School and St Michael School were crowned kings and queens of the 2026 Dasani Powerade Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championships (BSSAC) when the three –day meet ended before a huge crowd at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex on Friday. 

Combermere won the male division for the third consecutive time with 267.50 points, Harrison College placed second after amassing 197.50 points. The St Michael School came third with 181 points, and Christ Church Foundation and St Leonard’s Boys were fourth and fifth with 175 and 171 points respectively. 

In the girls’ category, St Michael School won their second successive title in a dominant manner after amassing  a massive 357 point, 120 more than Harrison College who placed second with 237 points, Combermere came third with 208 points, while Springer Memorial who dominated the girls’ division for several placed fourth with 181 points, and Queen’s College secured the fifth position with 114 points.  

Several records fell during BSSAC; Laila McIntyre of Harrison College broke the first record on the opening day of the Championship; McIntyre smashed her own BSSAC record of 10:34.32 in the Open Girls’3000 metres when she ran 10:14.07 to win the race.   

On Friday, Alex Whitehead of St Michael wrote his name in the record books with a rapid 11.88 seconds in the Under-15 Boys 80 metres to break his own record of 12.42; and the St Michael School set a new meet record in the Under-15 Girls 4×100 relay when Alyssa Cummins, Blake Carrington, Zaniah Smith and Neriah Carter combined to run 49.48 seconds to lowered the record of 49.49 which was also held by the school. Ashlyn Simmons from Alexandra School had her supporters in a frenzy after winning the Under-20 Girls 800 metres in a record-breaking run of 2:08.7 wiping out her record of 20:10.18 in the zones. Jalino Hamlet of St Leonard’s Boys broke his own record in the Under-15 Boys 400 metres, the 13-year-old ran 48.80 to lower record which previously stood at 49.28.  

  Aniya Nurse of St Michael School set the track ablaze in the Under-20 Girls’ 100 metres on Thursday, when she erased Yolande Straughn’s record set at the National Stadium in 1985. Nurse, 17, crossed the line in 11.55 seconds to break the previous record of 11.64 seconds. Nurse competed the sprint double when she won the Under-20 Girls’200 metres in 23.91 on Friday. 

Other record-breaking performances on the penultimate day of the Championships came from Shamari Greenidge-Lewis, of St George Secondary in the Under-20 Boys’ 400 metres, the 18-year-old won the race in 46.26 seconds dismantling Jonathan Jones 2018 record of 46.80 seconds. Rashawn Holder of Christ Church Foundation set a new Under-17 Boys’ 100-metre record of 13.78 seconds, bettering Azari Edey’s 13.80 from 2025. Alex Jones-Ifill of St Leonard’s Boys wrote his name in the records books winning the Under-13 Boys 200 metres in 23.84 seconds breaking the record of 24.05 set by Shae Nurse in 2009. His teammate Jalino Hamlet stopped the clock in the Under-15 Boys 200 metres at 22.02 seconds surpassing Darian Clarke’s 22.13 set in 2016; and Blake Carrington of St Michael set a new Under-13 Girls’ long jump with a leap of 5.32 metres.   

Hailey Marritt of Harrison College was the Victrix Ludorum with 36 points; the under-17 competitor won the High Jump, Tripple Jump, Long Jump and placed third in the 100 metres. Jones-Ifill was of St Leonard’s Boys was the Victor Ludorum with 40 points; the talented athlete won the Boys’ Under-13 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres and the long jump. 

Coach of Combermere School Jarad Murray was delighted at the performances of his athletes. 

“I can’t express how I am feeling right now- I am very pleased with the team and the efforts, the boys really came through, and the girls hung tight and did what they had to do. We had a few hiccups, but we pulled through in the end, and I am proud of the entire team”, Roach said after the Championships. 

 Coach of St Michael School Gabriel Burnett lauded the dominant manner the girls retained the title. The veteran coach said he was not worried after ending the penultimate day on 213 points, followed by Harrison College on 183 points. 

“No, we were not worried. We knew it was going to be difficult for Harrison College to keep up with us. After we made our calculations, we expected to win by our 100 points; we had some mishaps on Thursday, but we kept things together and everything worked out”, Gabriel said. 

He attributed the consistency of his athletes to the management team: “Our management team is awesome- athletes come and go, but we have a system and the athletes buy-in to what we have. For example, now that this BSSAC is over – we are already planning for next year. We know the athletes that are returning to school. We know where we have to put people; so, we are always ready then the athletes buy-in to our plan”.