By Neto Baptiste
A 14-member track and field relay team — consisting of seven girls and seven boys from Princess Margaret School (PMS) — will fly the country’s flag at the 2024 Trinbago Schools Relay Festival slated for the Hasely Crawford Stadium on January 18.
The team, scheduled to leave for Trinidad on Wednesday, will feature national athletes like Geolyna Dowdey, Kasiya Daley, Caandre Pascal and Mia McIntosh, and will compete against relay teams from other top schools across the region in the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 relay events.
Principal of the PMS, Dr Colin Greene, is excited for the opportunity the event presents for athletes to showcase their talents.
“They have invited the champion track & field schools from around the Caribbean and we’re fortunate that we are one of the teams that have been invited, and because we are both girls and boys champions we are taking two teams, a female team and a male team that will represent Antigua at the relays. We are looking at the champion teams from Jamaica, so I think KC [Kingston College] is going to be there, I think Hydel [Jamaica] are girls champions and there should be a team from St Lucia, St Vincent and I think that in all, there will be 52 teams,” he said.
Greene expressed confidence in his student’s ability to do well while showing appreciation for those who are supporting the venture.
“I think we can make a good showing but I think that, most of all, what they can take away from it is the experience and to have fun and enjoy the moment because to me, its serves almost like a reward for winning the championships that they have won over the years. We also have the support of the Ministry of Sports and Education and the permanent secretary Mrs. Greenaway have been quite supportive of the activity and we also have one or two other persons who are supporting us. We also want, from the onset, to thank Capt. Browne from Supreme Security and the Insane Carnival people as they sponsored our travel gear,” he said.
The principal also highlighted that possible opportunities could be available for outstanding athletes.
“When I looked at the template that the track and field association or the secondary schools track and field association uses, it is very much like what we do. It’s about a mingling of running and entertainment and fun and it looks very PMS-like, so there will be a lot of people there and watching these athletes,” Greene said.
In 2023, Toco Secondary won the overall champion title, Queen’s Royal College claimed the boys’ crown and Bishop Anstey High School took home the girls’ title. All three schools are based in Trinidad.
Full PMS/Antigua and Barbuda Teams
Girls: Shenika Bentick, Geolyna Dowdey, Mia McIntosh, Aleema Rhiney, Rhiana Philip, Jolisa Cato and Tyra Carr.
Boys: Kasiya Daley, Ivan Barnes, Kelroy Campbell, Juari Lewis, Chazan Gunn, Caandre Pascal and Rondly Anthony.