SVGS snatches glory from Thomas Saunders Secondary School

The St. Vincent Grammar School claimed the Male Division of the 2012 National Lotteries Authority Inter Secondary Schools’ Track and Field Championships held last Thursday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.{{more}}

In the process, the all male institution dethroned the Thomas Saunders Secondary, which triumphed back to back in 2010 and 2011.

But the results were not without some drama, as the Thomas Saunders students were already in celebratory mood from the initial results. However, intervention by the SVGS’s Physical Education Teacher Rawlson Morgan and acting Headmaster Curtis King stalled the final tally.

Morgan and King’s insistence of a review of the scores was vindicated as the results were overturned.

SVGS finished with 251.5 points, and the Thomas Saunders Secondary, 246.

The SVGS athletes are returning to winning ways, having last won the title in 2009 and bantered with their jerseys which had the inscription: “We are Back!”

Taking the third spot was the Bethel High School with 150 points, with the Union Island Secondary fourth on 130. 5 points, and the fifth was the Petit Bordel Secondary, which tallied 122 points.

Elated coach of the champion school Rawlson Morgan told SEARCHLIGHT last Monday: “After not wining for two years, the feeling is really good, having considered that not a lot of persons expected that we would have made the comeback as early as we would have done it early this year.”

Morgan said that from the get go he was confident that his charges could come out on top, once they had put in the necessary hours of training.

Morgan was in high praise of the input of coach Michael “Lord Have Mercy” Ollivierre, whom he said was instrumental in the team’s success.

“I must publicly thank Mr. Ollivierre. Some of the guys train, with him, and he was always there to give advice about strategy. He also brought along his personal chiropractor who helped the guys with masseuse service,” Morgan said with gratitude.

Morgan also revealed that the tee shirts which were sported by the athletes at the end of the championships were the initiative of Ollivierre.

Whilst enjoying the limelight, Morgan is already looking ahead at maintaining the winning ways.

“This is the start of the journey of staying on top as we were before. There will be bumps along the way, as it is a transition period for the Grammar School,” Morgan projected.

Despite being crowned overall male champions, it was the Thomas Saunders that grabbed the headline in the divisional awards.

Rojike Thorpe of the Thomas Saunders Secondary was the Male under-17 champion, as he scored 24 points, and Brandon Parris, also of Thomas Saunders, the Under-21 title holder, with 27 points.

Parris triumphed in the 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m.

Slyford Lampkin of the Bethel High School secured the Under-14 title for his 31 points, and was the Victor Ludorum.