Burnett sizzles despite wet conditions

Marian Burnett ran a spirited final 300m to win the hotly anticipated 1500m international race at the third President’s Jefford Track and Field Classic at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden on Sunday (May 13).

Despite, the less than ideal conditions with parts of the track under water and other parts muddy from persistent rain, Burnett managed to stave off strong challenges from two-time Carifta 1500m champion Jevina Straker, who came in second, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Tonya Nero, already part of T& T’s contingent for this year’s Olympics in London.

The well executed race from the double Olympian and hometown girl sent the spectators into a frenzy, some venturing into the drizzle to cheer and take photos of the star and her finish that left her panting for breath. Burnett finished with a time of 5: 05.60 while Straker and Nero finished with times of 5: 07.50 and 5: 07.80 respectively.

Burnett, not competing in the 800m, allowed Straker, representing National Park, to take pole position with a time of 2: 30.80 ahead of Police Sports Club athletes Jenella Jonas (2: 38.40) and Adama Roberts (2: 40.60).

Straker also struck gold in the long distance by recording a time of 12: 03.70 in the 3000m ahead of Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Ashanti Scott (12: 09.60) and Roberts (12: 19.70).

In the men’s category, Cleveland Forde comfortably won his long and middle distance events by registering times of 16: 35.80 4: 15.70 in the 5000m and 1500m respectively. Upper Demerara’s Nathaniel Giddings finished second with 16: 43.40 while Tyshon Bentick, also of GDF, recorded a third place time of 17: 18.30.

Cleveland Thomas settled for second in the 1500m with a time of 4: 20.80 but redeemed himself in 800m with a winning time of 1: 58.80 ahead of Mark London of T& T (2: 00.30) and PSC’s Kevin Bayley (2: 01.70).

In the marquee sprint event national athlete Chavez Ageday, Akeem Stewart and Terry Easton all clocked 11.50s in the 100m, which was decided on timings from the preliminaries.

Stephan James, of NP, copped the 200m event with the best time of 23.40s ahead of his club mate Elton Bollers, who clocked 23.70s and GDF’s Patrick King that ran a time of 23.90s. Bollers however, returned in the 400m to upset James, the ruler of the junior roost in that event, with a time of 51.20s; James was second with a run 51.70s and Shawn Semple of PSC was third with a time of 52.30s.

On the distaff side, easily beat her rivals to land the sprint double in the 100m and 200m. Fortune’s time of 12.20s in her heat bettered Neisa Allen’s time of 12.50s and Tiffany Carto’s 12.80s. Fortune ran 25.60s in the 200m before Natrena Hooper returned a time of 27.10s and Allen Allen, 27.30s.

Allen however, did not disappoint in her pet event as she romped to victory in the 400m with a time of 1: 02.30. Hooper was second in 1: 02.70 and Nadine Rodrigues rounded out the top three with a run of 1: 02.80s.