AT CHRISTMAS, some Haitian children's faces will glow with happiness, all because of Bajan generosity. < Read more >

DEAR FATHER: These pupils at prayer at Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School assembled on the outside when rumour spread of a possible aftershock from an earthquake. Some of the students eventually went home after their parents turned up for them. Compliments of the Nation News

TWO NEW CHAMPIONS, winners for the very first time, were crowned yesterday at the National Stadium when the curtain came down on the 2008 BUT/NSC National Primary Schools' Athletics Championships (NAPSAC).

It was a lopsided affair as Charles F. Broome ran away with the girls' title, amassing 355 points. Former champions Erdiston were a distant second with 263, followed by another gap with Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary (196), Luther Thorne (186) and former champions Hilda Skeene Primary who fell to fifth with 185.

After placing among the top three for several years, Wilkie Cumberbatch are finally winners with 338 points, but they had a tough battle against dethroned champions Charles F. Broome (320.5) and West Terrace (301) who led briefly during the relays.

Erdiston were a distant fourth with 180 points and Ellerton fifth with 134.5. Ding-dong battle

All day, it was a battle between the two champions, and led to some spirited arguments between parents and supporters.

Mario Burke of Wilkie Cumberbatch celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday with wins in the three sprints, including two records.

He spent all day fighting off the challenge of Charles F. Broome's Tre Adamson, who was second in the races. In the 100, Burke was clocked at 13.12 seconds to Adamson's 13.16; he equalled the old mark of 26.36 in the 200 metres and lowered the 400-metre mark to 58.75 seconds.

Victor ludorum Ajani Alleyne won the long jump with a new record of 4.39 metres, and the 200 metres, but was beaten in both the 100 and 400 metres behind Kedane Pollard from Sharon. Nashandi Clarke of Erdiston Primary was the victrix ludorum, winning the Under-9 cricket ball throw with a record 34.63 metres, was second in the 80 metres and third in the 100-metre dash.

Talasiah Balgobin of Charles F. Broome led the girls from the front, setting a new record of 1.48 metres in the high jump, erasing Akela Jones' two-year mark of 1.47 metres. She also won the 200 metres in 28.01 seconds and was third in the 400 metres in 67.02 behind Leah Barker (64.52) of St Paul's and Wilkie's Akeilia Knight (66.58) of Wilkie. Barker won the 100 (13.88)and 400 metres (64.52)

Good support

She got good support from Allana Ince, the daughter of former national athlete Allan Ince, who set a new record of 4.08 metres in the long jump, was second in the 100 metres and was third in the Under-11 100 metres. Tristan Evelyn of Mount Tabor won the 100 metres in 14.35 and the 200 in 29.95 seconds.

Jaria Hoyte, one of the few athletes who represented Bayley's, won the 600 metres in a new record 1:48.95, taking over the race after the first 200 metres. She came back to win the Under-13 400 metres in 68.89 and teammate Akilah Blackman was third behind St George's Latoya Joseph. West Terrace's Jamahl Burke, the man in the aerodynamic suit, won the Under-9 Boys' 80 metres (11.83), 100 (14.77) and 150 (22.45) metres. Sharon's speedy Rosette Hoyte won the 80 metres in 12.55 and 150 in 23.48, then ran a beautiful anchor leg in the 4x100 relay to lead her team to victory. Shontae Cole of Grazettes won the 100 metres in 16 seconds.

Stole show

Among the tiny tots, Leilani Haddock of West Terrace stole the show in the 50-metre dash

and also took the standing broad jump with a leap of 1.61 metres. Donte Payne of St Alban's won the 50-metre dash in 8.61 seconds, while Emerson Hooper of Boscobel won the tennis ball with a new record of 32.84 metres.

Overall, eight records were broken and one was equalled.