MSS ladies make new record in Easter Monday Relay 42:38.
Top 3 girl teams came in before the previous time of 44.36
Male Winners new time: 50:20 Conscious Vybz. previous record. 51:15
Mss boys in second place – 52:25
The MSS relay teams
The Montserrat Secondary Scholl (MSS) girls and boys stole the spotlight at the annual Easter Monday Relay, 2013, as records tumbled. As a result, both MSS girls team and Conscious Vybz planted their teams in the record books.
1st place Men team Conscious Vybz
The men’s team Conscious Vybz smashed the previous record, running from Lookout to the Salem Park in 50 min 15 seconds (50:15) beating 50:20 set by the police team previously. They beat the MSS boys, 52:25 who placed second, and Gunners, out of five teams.
But, it was the MSS teams that took big honours with the girls smashing the previous record of 44:36 by almost two minutes at 42:38 with 12-year-old Mikila Gittens, running the toughest leg of the race. The women race began at the Government Headquarters, Brades, with the second leg, run by MSS student Mikilia beginning at Cudjoe Head, down and up Fogarthy Hill to Hill Top.
The MSS star runner must have been still celebrating her MSS sports Victrix Ludorum spotlight having beaten her Primary school nemesis and all in sight at the school’s road race as well as all the long races at the sport meet on March 27.
She told TMR while speaking with the two other front runners, she slowed down once going up Fogarthy, confirming, “I ran down Cudjoe Head and up Fogathty Hills, it was painful, but I feel so excited,” Mikila said.
12-year-old Mikila running the 2nd leg up Fogathy on the 1st S Corner
Kenesha Farrell, did the third leg, Hill Top to picking up the extended lead by Mikila to St. Augustine school. “… I ran from the Hill Top to St. Augustine School, I did my best I don’t stop on the way because I knew we were going to get victory. it was downhill, I pushed myself so I can give the last person that was running a good lead so we can be in front,” she said. Meanwhile Janet Turner who did the first leg from Government Headquarters up to Cudjoe Head, explained how she moved away leaving the rest the runners, after she passed Lyme complex sticking to their plan for the race and building the first lead in the race.
Then Samantha Williams who took the baton home and across the finish line told us, “It was quite interesting. We all practiced to win…we won the race, and we felt happy about what we did and we were very impressed in the time that we came in.” She added: “…we set a time limit again and we are looking forward for next year to do a more excellent job at this running.”
But it is Samatha’s last year for MSS and captain of the girl’s team. “Definitely,” she responded as she was praised for being a good motivator for the team. “I was captain for three years and I mean I had to put my last year in because I’m graduating this year. I definitely put out my best even though my house didn’t turn out on top (at the school competition), but I rather we do our best than win most times, it’d be good to win but I mean doing your best is always good,” she exclaimed, admitting, “Yes I’m a good motivator and I’m happy about that.”
Conscious Vybz , consisting of Kavoy Jarrett, Jaison Peters, Delroy Campbell and Leon Williams, were favourites to win, breaking the record easily, according to Jaison. He told reporters: “Yeah, well the race was, you know, it was not that competitive, but I think we had a good race this morning everybody turned out…I must say thanks to everyone, our sponsors Jermaine Wade, fans everybody turn out well and so it was a good race.””
He explained how he ran the second leg. “I had fire and school was right behind me, but I was not worrying about anything because – I put in hard work when I trained so I what I’m capable of doing. When the fire guy pass me at one time I was not worried, I was smiling because I know I got him right where I want him – Yeah I just had to shift gear because…” he said gleefully.
One teammate, Leon Williams said that he was not worried when he heard during the first leg that Conscious Vybz was in third position. “Once they are close to each other that’s all I want…” showing his confidence.
For the girls section, Jam Rock, placed 2nd, while Bad n Out took the third spot. Firecrackers was the other participating team.
In the men section, MSS took the second position, while Gunners was the third placed team. Other teams were Fire and Police in that order.
New sporting developments
Sports Minister, Colin Riley
Minister of Sports, Colin Riley spoke briefly announced that there will be some new sporting facilities by year-end. “The sports development continues. The highlight this year is going to be the development of an indoor facility at Brades, where, we’re going to have basketball and netball indoors for the first time and hopefully we will be able to open a facility by the end of the year,” he announced.
He expressed his satisfaction at the increase in teams participating in the event, and hoped for even better in the coming years noting out the performance of the school girls.
Raymond Cabey from the sports department directed the event. He announced the winners who received their prizes from Parliamentary Secretary Germaine Wade. He thanked everyone for their participation including the sizeable crowd that had turned out early for the event. He invited more people to participate in the teams asking that registration be done early and exposing that they started with more teams but some had dropped out.
2nd place Jamrock girls
Out n Bad girls team took 3rd spot
3rd place Men team, Gunners
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