分类： sports

In a display of emerging track and field excellence, young Barbadian athletes Aniya Nurse and Jahkye Brewster are redefining sprint standards while pursuing legendary milestones at the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships (BSSAC).

Aniya Nurse, representing St Michael School, delivered an electrifying performance during the Dasani Frank Blackman and Sada Williams zone competitions that initially appeared to shatter one of Barbados’ most enduring athletic records. The rising star clocked a remarkable 11.41 seconds in the Under-20 girls’ 100m event, seemingly surpassing Yolande Straughn’s 41-year-old record of 11.64 seconds established in 1985. However, the exceptional time was ultimately invalidated due to an excessive tailwind measuring 5.4m/s, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 2.0m/s.

Despite this setback, Nurse’s 2026 season has demonstrated consistent excellence with repeated performances in the 11.5-second range, including an official personal best of 11.53 seconds. The versatile athlete further showcased her capabilities by establishing a new zonal record in the 200m with a dominant time of 24.03 seconds during the championship’s final day.

In exclusive comments to Barbados TODAY, Nurse revealed her ambitious objectives: “My races so far have been pretty good. I really wanted to focus on execution and form, and I believe I achieved that. My goals for BSSAC this year are to finish healthy and to break the 100m record.” Her aspirations extend beyond national competitions to include medal contention at the upcoming CARIFTA Games and ultimately competing at the World Under-20 Championships and Olympic level.

Parallel achievements emerged in the boys’ division where Jahkye Brewster of Lodge School has dominated Under-20 sprint events. Training under coaches Glen Williams and Juquan Beckles at Extreme Velocity, Brewster has exhibited significant progression throughout the season, culminating in a personal best of 10.56 seconds at the AAB National Junior Championships.

At the zonal level, Brewster commanded both sprint events, securing victories in the 100m (10.77 seconds) and 200m (22.00 seconds) with the fastest qualifying times. Following last year’s narrow miss at CARIFTA sprint finals, where he nonetheless contributed to Barbados’ bronze medal in the Under-17 boys’ 4x400m relay, Brewster now targets record-breaking performances and international recognition.

The determined athlete stated: “I would really like to break the 200m record. The races I ran were satisfactory, though somewhat affected by wind conditions. This year at CARIFTA, I intend to reach the finals and earn a medal. My ultimate ambitions include becoming a professional athlete and competing in the Olympics.”

Bushy Park Motorsports Facility in St Philip is set to assume an unprecedented operational role for the 2026 edition of the Caribbean’s premier motorsport event, BCIC Rally Barbados. Event organizers have designated the venue as the comprehensive Central Service Park throughout the entire competition period, spanning from the Friday night floodlit SuperSpecial stage through the Sunday afternoon finale.

This expansion marks a significant evolution in the facility’s decade-long partnership with the Barbados Rally Club. For the tenth consecutive year, Bushy Park will serve as ‘Rally Central,’ providing secure storage and technical servicing capabilities for nearly 50 international teams and their vehicles. The increased participation necessitated infrastructure enhancements, with additional tentage erected in pit lanes to accommodate the 50% growth in competing vehicles witnessed during the previous year’s event.

Event Director Neil Barnard expressed enthusiasm about the venue’s enhanced responsibilities: ‘Bushy Park represents the optimal choice to consolidate multiple rally activities this season. It will function as an efficient operational base for competitors and organizers while simultaneously delivering an engaging spectator experience. The collaboration with the Bushy Park team has been exceptionally productive.’

The expanded programming includes the fifth annual Auto & Rally Show on May 23rd, offering enthusiasts exclusive access to view all 125 anticipated vehicles—a record participation number—in a single location. This family-oriented event will feature live interviews with rally personalities, test drives coordinated with local automotive importers, culinary offerings, and dedicated children’s activities. Technical scrutineering procedures will follow a predetermined schedule in the days preceding the First Citizens King of the Hill qualifier on May 24th.

The inaugural day of the Dasani BSSAC Championships’ Frank Blackman and Sada Williams Zone witnessed extraordinary athletic performances and intense team competitions at the Usain Bolt Complex. St Michael School established a commanding position in the girls’ division with 289 points, creating a substantial 63-point advantage over second-place Harrison College (226 points). Queen’s College secured third position with 180 points in the female category.

The boys’ competition unfolded with dramatically closer margins, as Lodge School claimed a narrow lead with 212 points—merely three points ahead of Harrison College’s 209 points. Queen’s College maintained third position with 175 points, while St Michael and Coleridge and Parry tied precisely with 172 points each.

Multiple championship records succumbed to exceptional young athletes throughout the event. St Michael’s Blake Carrington inaugurated the record-breaking trend with a spectacular 5.02-meter leap in the Under-15 girls’ long jump, obliterating the previous zone mark. Teammate Shania Mottley continued the school’s dominance by clearing 1.66 meters in the Under-20 girls’ high jump.

Middle-distance events produced particularly breathtaking performances. Harrison College’s Laila McIntyre delivered a historic 4:45.15 finish in the Under-17 girls’ 1500m, simultaneously breaking both the zonal record and the 32-year-old BSSAC record. Alexandra’s Ashlyn Simmons demonstrated similar dominance in the Under-20 girls’ 1500m, establishing new zone and championship records with her 4:40.66 timing.

Sprint events witnessed equally impressive achievements. Queen’s College’s Taylor-Rae Wiggins matched the zone record of 12.43 seconds in the Under-17 girls’ 100m, while Lodge School’s Rashad Gibson equaled the Under-20 boys’ 110m hurdles record. Despite an illegal wind reading, St Michael’s Aniya Nurse recorded an extraordinary 11.41 seconds in the Under-20 girls’ 100m that would have broken historical records.

The championships continue with anticipation building around both team standings and individual performances, particularly among athletes preparing for upcoming CARIFTA Games competitions.

A dramatic shift occurred at the summit of the Barbados Football Association’s Division One competition following the conclusion of the fifth round of fixtures. Empire FC catapulted to the number one position after delivering a commanding 6-1 demolition of Fitts Village at their Bank Hall home ground. This offensive masterclass proved sufficient to unseat previous leaders Technique FC, who themselves registered a victory with a 2-1 triumph over Barbados Soccer Academy. The evening also saw Pro Shottas solidify their standing within the top three by securing a 2-0 win against Greens FC. In the remaining fixture of the round, Deacons and White Hall FC concluded a tightly contested match with a 1-1 draw. The table now shows Empire and Technique locked on an identical 12 points, with Empire’s superior goal difference breaking the tie. A significant strategic advantage remains with both Technique and third-placed Pro Shottas, who have accrued 10 points, as each holds a game in hand over the new leaders, setting the stage for a compelling title race.

The opening day of the Frank Blackman and Sada Williams Zone at the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships (BSSAC) was electrified by historic performances from two CARIFTA Games-bound athletes. Laila McIntyre and Ashlyn Simmons each shattered long-standing records in their respective middle-distance events, signaling their formidable form ahead of regional competition.

In the Under-17 girls’ 1500m, first-year competitor Laila McIntyre executed a dominant race strategy, establishing an early lead with a pace that proved insurmountable for her rivals. She surged across the finish line to clock an unprecedented 4:45.15, eclipsing the previous BSSAC record of 4:45.68 set by Janelle Inniss back in 1994—a mark that had stood unchallenged for 32 years. Inniss, a Parkinson Memorial alumna, had capitalized on her 1994 victory to claim CARIFTA gold in both the 800m and 1500m events that same year.

Following her record-shattering run, an elated McIntyre shared her exhilaration with media, noting her personal best had been approximately 15 seconds slower entering the competition. The multi-talented athlete, who has also medaled in CARIFTA triathlon and swimming, expressed particular pride in achieving this goal a year ahead of schedule. This triumph serves as a significant confidence booster as she prepares for her specialty event, the 3000m. McIntyre is poised to make her CARIFTA Games debut this year, representing Barbados alongside her brother, Luke McIntyre, in both the 1500m and 3000m distances.

Not to be outdone, Ashlyn Simmons delivered a spectacular performance in the Under-20 girls’ 1500m. The experienced competitor demolished the previous record of 4:46.73, established by Sonia Gaskin in 2012, by posting an extraordinary time of 4:40.66. Simmons, who is concluding her final year in the division, revealed her determined mindset going into the race: to run each lap aggressively, accelerate on the final circuit, and finish with maximum power.

The accomplished athlete described the satisfaction of leaving her mark on BSSAC history during her final appearance. As a three-time CARIFTA medalist—including gold in the Under-17 1500m and silver in the 800m in 2023, plus bronze in the Under-20 4x400m relay last year—Simmons now sets her sights on achieving new personal bests and adding to her medal collection in the upcoming regional games.