The San Pedro High School athletes won 4 Gold medals at the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) track and field championships, hosted by Ladyville Technical High School at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City last Friday and Saturday, April 20-21. SPHS was part of the Northern Zone, which tallied 24 medals: 6 gold, 7 silver and 11 bronze.
San Pedro High’s Ernest Arzu of won Gold in the Senior 400 meters in 53:03 seconds, while Anglican Cathedral College’s Linden Wade took the silver in 53.45secs, and CCC’s Canaan Smith claimed the bronze in 54.71secs.
Ernest won another Gold when he helped the Northern Zone team win the Senior 4×400 relay, giving his team a 50-yard lead in the first leg before handing off to CCC’s Alfonso Barahona, Nedly Loria, and Canaan Smith, who ran the anchor leg. The Central boys team won the silver, and the Southern boys claimed the bronze.
San Pedro High’s Yahir Sandoval hurled the shot 9.94 meters to win Gold in the Junior shot put. Sacred Heart College’s Brion Young threw 9.49m for silver, and St. Ignatius High’s Jaheid Armstrong threw 9.31m for bronze. Sandoval also threw 30.30 meters to win Gold in the Junior discus, while CCC’s Martin Morales threw 28.42m for silver, and TCC’s Danique Neal threw 25.66m for bronze.
Liandra Bowden also won bronze when she hurled the shot 7.62 meters in the Junior shot put; while E.P.Yorke’s Tikayha Orosco threw 9.80 meters for the Gold, and Sacred Heart College’s Mia Sylvestre threw 8.43m for silver.
Ernest Arzu also won the bronze in the Junior 200 meters in 23.75seconds, while Wesley College’s Joshire Stanley ran 22.78 secs for Gold and TCC’s Dennis Paulino took the silver in 23.59secs.
Ernest Arzu also led the San Pedro boys: Haseim Valerio, Evarld Dixon and Robert Palacio to win bronze in the Senior 4×100 meters relay in 48.10 seconds; while the Central Zone boys won Gold in 45.21 secs, and the Southern boys took the silver in 45.63.
SPHS sailing champion Blanca Velasquez also competed in the Javelin, but her best throw of 16.58 meters earned her 5th place. SPHS softball catcher Nayelli Longsworth ran the Senior 200 metres in 22.31 seconds to finish 6th. SPHS Juliany Hernandez ran the Junior 800m in 3:43.13 to finish 7th. SPHS Julio Barrientos ran the Junior 800m in 2:30.55 to finish 6th ; while Jairo Portillo ran the Senior 800m in 2:46.84 to finish 8th.
The Central Zone tallied 50 medals: 23 Gold, 17 silver and 10 bronze. The Southern athletes also tallied 50 medals: 18 Gold, 13 silver and 19 bronze. The Western athletes collected 27 medals: 5 Golds, 12 silver and 9 bronze.
