JERSEY won the overall States Street Inter-insular Track and field championships held this weekend at Guernsey’s Foote’s lane stadium.
Although they lost the senior men’s battle, victory in the women’s and in other age sections gave them the overall honours. The two days of exciting and often tense competition produced many outstanding performances, with the overall standard of athletics being remarked upon by GIAAC president Rob Baptiste as the highest that he could remember.
Some 200 athletes competed, across five age categories from U11 through to seniors. An unprecedented 12 new inter-insular records were set, which is all the more remarkable given the stormy conditions during the first day of competition.
On Saturday the U11, U15 and senior age groups competed, with Jersey edging ahead overall by 20 points by the end of the first day. Claire Forbes setting a inter-insular record of 4 min 42.84 sec for the 1,500m, and Jenna Murphy equalling the high jump mark of 1.60m. For the senior men, team captain Peter Irving won the 110m and 400m hurdles and Zane Duquemin won the discus and shot. However, the strength of Guernsey’s senior men’s team, with new records being set by Dale Garland, Lee Merrien and Tom Druce proved decisive.
• Jersey’s Sophie Twinam
