Rupununi athletes for weekend meet
Up for Junior Carifta Games selection
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
March 19, 2004
Three Rupununi athletes who performed outstandingly at the just-concluded National Schools Track and Field, Cycling and Swimming Championships, will be on show this weekend at the Enmore Community Centre ground.
According to Chairman of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) Sports Committee Eon Austin, Marvaline Antone, Floyd Rodrigues and Rosanna Lawrence have been identified to participate in the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana's (AAA), National Junior Track and Field Championships, billed for the Enmore ground, beginning tomorrow at 10.30 am.
Austin told Stabroek Sport the three athletes are currently staying at the homes of Region Nine (Rupununi) education officials in Georgetown, and are currently training with the Royal Youth Movement Athletic Club, under Coach Christopher Gaskin.
Based on their performance this weekend, the three could be selected to represent Guyana at the Junior Carifta Games slated for Hamilton, Bermuda from April 9-11.
Antone and Lawrence defeated star-studded fields that included Delcie Dick and Leanna Doris at the just-concluded `Nationals'. Both Dick and Doris have represented Guyana at Regional meets in the past.
In winning the girls open 5K road race, 15-year-old Antone broke Roxanne Pratt's record (20:02.06) for the distance by almost two minutes, when she returned 18:22.8 seconds on the first day of the championships. Antone had told Stabroek Sport then that she could have done even better if she had known the course of the race.
Lawrence won the girls open 3000-metres, and in the process, trashed Dick and Doris, another national junior athlete.
Lawrence won with more than 75 metres in hand. She went to the front of the race after 2100 metres and might have even returned a better time or even broke the record had she been seriously challenged during the final three laps or 900-metres.
Rodrigues won the under-15 boys 1500.
The three will compete in the under-17 and under-20 age groups.
Antone is down to compete in the 1500-metre girls' under-17, but could also be participating in the 5000-metre girls' under-20. Both events are billed for tomorrow.
Rodrigues is also expected to be on show tomorrow in the 1500-metre boys' under-17.
Lawrence could be in action tomorrow in the 5000-metre girls' under-20.
Efforts to contact AAA's president Claude Blackmoore yesterday to confirm the events that the trio will be participating in this weekend proved futile.