A.Rathnayaka CC Walala sealed girls title for the 21st year
St Peter’s College Colombo clinched the Boys’ title for the second consecutive year while A. Rathnayaka CC Walala sealed the Girls’ championship for the 21st year in the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship 2019 concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium .
St Peter’s collected 171 points, while former champions St Benedict’s College Colombo became runner-up with 95 points. Walala girls collected a staggering 304 points, while Holy Cross College Gampaha emerged runners-up with 100 points.
Chamod Yodasinghe of St. Mary’s College Kegalle, who won the long jump as well as the 100m events, was adjudged the best male athlete for his long jump performance of 7.43m. Shelinda Jansen, the sprinter from Gateway International School Rajagiriya, emerged as the best female athlete for her performance in the 200m clocking 24.69 seconds.
Gateway sprinter Sadeepa Henderson completed another triple, just as she did in the Junior National championship a week ago, winning the 100m, 200m and long jump events. She also won the champion’s award for field events.
Tharushi Karunarathne of A. Rathnayaka CC Walala, sister of Asian Junior medalist Harsha Karunarathne, also excelled: winning three Gold medals – in the 400m, 800m and anchoring their Under-16 girls’ 4x400m relay team to a record breaking win.
A total of 15 new meet records were set during the three-day championship. Asian Youth Championship Silver medalist Navishka Sandeesh of St. Sebastian’s College clocked 48.01 seconds in the 400m Under-18 Boys’ event to set a new meet record, shattering the record of Youth Olympic finalist Dilan Bogoda.
Earlier in the day Nadun Bandara of Royal College Colombo clocked an impressive 13.93 seconds to set a new meet record in the Boys’ Under-18 110m hurdles, while Seniru Anuththara of Dharmapala Vidyalaya Pannipitiya clocked 14.63 seconds to set a new meet record in the Girls’ Under-18 100m hurdles.
TROPHY WINNERS – 2019
Under 16 Girls Championship
Second Runner-up – Sirikurusa College – Gampaha – 25 Points