Ratnayake MMV, Walala snatch lead from Bens

By Saif Izzadeen

W.G.M.C.Kumara of Galmulla Maha Vidyalaya Polonnaruwa who won the Boys Under-21 Pole Vault event seen in action yesterday - Pic by Saman Kariyawasam

The lads of A. Ratnayake MMV, Walala, Kandy are made of stern stuff. They proved this point at the end of the third day of the All Island Inter-School Athletic meet when they snatched back the initiative that St. St. Benedict’s had wrested earlier in the day.

A.Ratnayake MMV Walala from the Central Province who were trailing St. Benedict’s College Kotahena ended the day, a point ahead of the Colombo lads at 60 points.

St. Joseph’s College Colombo and Ananda College Colombo, both from Western Province, shared third place with 52 points.
In the girl’s events the lasses from A.Ratnayake MMV Walala from central province with 97 points proved that they too as superior as their male colleagues. They too ended the day at the top. St. Joseph’s Balika Kegalle from Sabaragamuwa province in second place with 53 points. In third place was Fergusson Girls high school Ratnapura (Sabaragamuwa Province) with 37 points.

However it was T. Anusha of Saivapragasa Ladies College Vavuniya from the Northren Province who made it a memorable one for her when she came second in the under 19 girls discuss throw with a distance of of 33.92 meters.

Anusha was the only female athlete to come from Vavuniya and win a medal for the Vavuniya District. She was able to compete in the shot putt event and win colours with a distance of 10.89 meters.

In the under 19 girl’s triple jump Danushka Priyadarshani St. Thomas Girls High School Matara from Southern Province set up a new meet record with a jump of 11.67 meters. In the women’s under 21 pole vault S.S. Mihirani de Silva of A. Ratnayake MMV Walala from Central Province with a clearance of 2.43 meters also set a new meet record.In the under 15 girls shot putt, H.B. Tiluni Menaka of Shariputra MV Pamburana from Southern Province set up new record with a distance of 9.41meters. Gayani Mahaliyana of St. Bridget’s Convent from Western Province set up a new meet record in the under 17, 100 metre hurdles with a timing of 15.29 seconds. She lowered Chamika Ranaweera’s record of 15.87 seconds set up in 2005. Ranaweera is from DeviBalika Colombo. In the under 21 Girls Shot Putt Sonali Weerasena of Sevavimukthi Camp from Northern Central Province threw at a distance of 12.05 meters which was new meet record.

The previous record was established in 1995 by R. Siri Badana (of Nanugala Maha Visdyalaya in the Southern Province) with a throw of 11.02 meters.