Saltus Girls Smash Records at Schools’ Relay Classic
IslandStats.com
The roar of a capacity crowd and the blur of flying batons defined a historic night of athletics as the 17th Annual Schools’ Relay Classic concluded at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium. Under the floodlights of the National Sports Centre, the island’s finest young sprinters produced a spectacle of speed that saw long-standing records fall and titles decided by the narrowest of margins.
The headline performance of the evening belonged to the Saltus Grammar Middle School girls' sprint team. The quartet of Leydi Raynor, Jasmine Reid-Rubaine, Amaya Davis, and Zahra Goodchild provided a masterclass in baton exchanges and raw pace. During the preliminary rounds of the 4x100m relay, the group stopped the clock at a blistering 51.10 seconds. This mark shattered the previous record of 51.59 seconds which had been held by the TN Tatem team of D Watson, A Gibbons, Z Turner, and Z Parsons since 2017.
Proving that their record-breaking heat was no fluke, the Saltus team returned for the final and once again dipped under the old record, crossing the line in 51.50 seconds to secure the gold medal. Their dominant display was the catalyst for a hugely successful night for the school, which saw them claim divisional honors in both the middle school girls' category and the senior girls' division.
The competition for the middle school boys' title was even more intense, resulting in a rare dead heat for the crown. Saltus Grammar and Whitney Institute could not be separated after a grueling schedule of events, with both institutions finishing on 18 points to share the championship trophy. Meanwhile, the senior school boys' division was dominated by The Berkeley Institute, who racked up a maximum 20 points to leave their rivals in the wake of their gold-standard performances.
In the primary school ranks, Warwick Academy emerged as the force to be reckoned with. Their girls' team secured their division with 18 points, while Port Royal Primary took the boys' title with a total of 16. These results propelled Warwick Academy to the top of the overall primary school standings with a total of 29 points, cementing their reputation as a powerhouse of youth development.
As the points were tallied at the end of the night, the overall trophies were shared between three of the island’s most storied sporting schools. Warwick Academy reigned supreme at the primary level, while Saltus Grammar’s record-breaking exploits saw them comfortably claim the middle school overall title with 38 points. In the senior category, The Berkeley Institute showcased their depth and speed to be crowned overall champions with a total of 34 points, bringing a thrilling end to one of the most successful editions of the classic to date.
