SCARBOROUGH, Tobago: Tobago Secondary Schools athletes will be aiming for a 26th hold on the national trophy when they journey to Trinidad for this year's National Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on April 20 & 21.
Leading the Tobago's charge will be Carifta champions Tyriq Horsford (Signal Hill Secondary) and Akanni Hislop (Bishops High). Tyriq retained the boys under 18 javelin gold at this year's Carifta Games in Grenada with a record throw of 73.00m while Hislop raced to gold in the boys under 20 200m to add to the under 18 title he won in 2015. Carifta medallists Asha James, (former Carifta three time champion) Chelsea James (Signal Hill Sec) and Anya Akili (Bishops High) will also be in the Tobago line up along with former medallists Omari Benoit (UWI Sixth Form-bronze-boys under 18 high jump. 2014) and Vandel Joseph (Pentecostal Light and Life-bronze-boys under 18 javelin-2015) and fellow Carifta representatives Safiya John, Ayala Stanislaus, Kerlon Ashby (Scarborough Sec), Ako Hislop, Franklyn Stanislaus (Bishops), Clarence Hannibal (Signal Hill Sec), Odel Joefield (Mason Hall Secondary), Konnel Jacobs (Speyside High) fform the base of strong Tobago team.
Horsford and Franklyn were the top males at the 2012 and 2013 editions of the Secondary Schools Champs while John was the top female in 2014. The Tobago contingent was selected following the Tobago Championships which took place in February. The Tobago delegation is expected to arrive in Port of Spain on Tuesday (April 19).
At the 2015 National Champs the defending champions won 93 medals (31 gold, 30 silver and 32 bronze) to win the overall trophy for 25 consecutive years since placing second way back in 1992.
At this year's edition close to 600 of the T&T's high school athletes will be in action vying for honors. The athletes will competing for their schools across eight educational districts/zones in Trinidad and Tobago: Caroni, North East, Port of Spain and Environs, South East, St. George East, St. Patrick, Tobago and Victoria. Athletes were selected for the National Championships after each zone/district held qualifiers in February. The athletes will compete in the under 14, 16, 18 and over 18 age classes in the following events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 100m/110m hurdles, 300m/400m hurdles, 4x100m, 4x400m, shot put, discus, javelin, long jump, high jump, triple jump.
The Championships are organized by the Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools Track and Field Association (TTSSTFA)…(website…www.
Action gets underway at 9:00am on both days.
