Joes, President’s Nawala clinch championships

Sadini, Hirusha best athletes

St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road won the overall championships in the boys’ category of the 48th Sir John Tarbet Junior Championship which ended at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Diyagama yesterday

St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road, Colombo thrived on field events and relays, and President’s Balika, Nawala blossomed on the prowess of record-breaking sprinters Kavindi Edirisinghe and Ruwansa Weerakkody as the two schools won the overall championships in the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively of the 48th Sir John Tarbet Junior Championship concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Diyagama on Friday.

St. Joseph’s collected most of the points through the efforts of Naveen Marasingha who won the Under-14 discus throw and the shot putt, and their Under-15 4×100 metres relay team, who established a new meet record of 46.3 seconds, in winning the event.

Hat-trick of meet records for Ruwansa –

Ruwansa Weerakkody’s record-breaking feats in the Under-13 long jump, 100 and 200 metres sprints earned President’s Balika many points.

Ruwansa completed a notable hat-trick of meet records when she won the Under-13 100 metre dash in a time of 13.0 seconds. The athlete trained by Dilan Mendis broke the 2006 record held by Nethmi de Silva of Musaeus College in the final.

Her impressive hat-trick brought to mind the similar efforts of Hirusha Heshan Mendis Abeysekara of Sidhartha College, Balapitiya at the last edition where he established three meet records in the Under-14 boys’ events.

This year, competing in the Under-15 age category, Heshan did not disappoint, though he could not win triple crowns. Heshan emerged as the best athlete of the meet for his record-breaking feat of 6.52 metres in the long jump. Sadini Kaveesha of Vijitha Central, Dickwella was adjudged the best athlete in the girls’ category for her impressive feat of 5.47 metres in the long jump.

President’s Balika’s Kavindi Edirisinghe, who clocked 59.1 seconds in the Under-15 girls 400 metres, established a new meet record and her effort won her the best 400 metres sprinter award.

Hasiru Sandilu Malwenna of Mahinda College, Galle who broke the 100 metres record in the heats on day two further improved the mark as he clocked 11.1 seconds to win the Under-15 100 metres final.

In an impressive field event feat, Udil Vidsarith of Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya cleared 1.75 metres to set a new meet record in the Under-14 boys’ high jump.

Also notable was the Sir John Kotalawala MV, Kurunegala athlete Sithum Jayasundara’s 55.1 seconds finish in the Under-14 400 metres. Jayasundara also equalled the meet record in the 100 metres dash with a feat of 11.7 seconds.