Swimming: St. Joseph’s and Mahamaya on top at 43rd Schools Championship

St. Joseph’s Colombo and Mahamaya Girls School Kandy the defending champions of the boy’s and girl’s categories look set to retain the title for yet another year as they were in the lead at the 43rd Schools Age Group Aquatic Championship held at the Sugathadasa Stadium swimming pool. 

St. Joseph’s will looking forward to clinch the title for the 13th successive time while Mahamaya the champs for the last 17 years will be aiming for the 18th successive title. 

St. Joseph’s are way ahead having so far accumulated 332.50 points while Royal in second is way behind on 197.50 points. 

The duo is followed by Ananda (155), Lyceum International Wattala (128), Nalanda (102), S. Thomas’ (93), Trinity (88), Lyceum International Nugegoda (80.50), St Sebastian’s Moratuwa (66) and St Peter’s (62). 

Mahamaya with 245 points has built up a substantial lead over Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo who has secured 208 points. 

They are followed by Lyceum International Wattala (167), Museasus (110.50), Sirimavo Bandaranayake BV (99), Ladies (86), Hillwood Kandy (79), St Bridget’s (67.50), Lyceum International Nugegoda (56) and Lyceum International Panadura (52). 

Meanwhile the two day’s proceedings saw 18 new records being established with eight on day one and ten on day two which comprised of 11 in the girls’ category and seven in the boys’. 

The star among the record breakers in the two categories was K.A. Hirunu Perera of Harischandra National School Negombo who set three new records. 

Vinoli Kaluarachchi of Sirimavo Bandaranayake BV and Dilanka Shehan of Nalanda established two new records each while the others to achieve record breaking feats were Shevinda de Silva (St. Joseph’s), Akalanka Peiris (St. Peter’s), Sithuwill Peiris (St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa), Dilrukshi Perera (Hillwood Kandy), Ramudi Samarakoon (Visaka), Melani Fernando (Ave Maria Negombo), Vinoli Siriwardena (Mahamaya), Dilrukshi Perera (Hillwood Kandy), Shaleena Peiris (Visakha), Ushan Gunaratne (Lyceum International Ratnapura) and Stephan Perera (Gateway Colombo).