Walala A. Ratnayake MMV complete a double

Sanjaya ARIYARATNE

Walala A. Ratnayake MMV, completed a grand double while six new meet records were established on the final day of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Milo Schools Athletic Championship concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday. Altogether a total of 12 new records were established at this meet which was conducted by the Sri Lanka

Schools Athletics Association and sponsored by Nestle Milo.

Ratnayake MMV athletes collected an impressive 127 points to finish ahead of Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa (122 points) and St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena (113) to take the boys overall title. Walala A. Ratnayake girls accumulated a massive 162 points to be crowned as girls’ overall winners followed by Sumana Balika Vidyalaya, Ratnapura and St. Joseph’s Girls’ School, Kegalle respectively.

W.K.L.A. Nimali of Namadagaswewa MV, Sooriyawewa emerged first in the 2000 metres steeple chase for girls’ in the under-20 age category.

She clocked in a new time of 6 minutes, 56.29 seconds lowering the previous best of 7 minutes, 34.5 seconds set in 2005. M.K. Seelaratne from Walala A. Ratnayake MMV finished second clocking 7:17.63 with Nilani Ratnayake of Sumana BV, Ratnapura ending up third recording 7:31.37 while bettering their own records.

H.A. Aruni Lakshika of Mahamaya BV, Nugegoda set a new record in under 20

girls javelin throw event where she threw an impressive distance of 42.50 metres. G.K. Wijesekara of Darmapala Vidyalaya accounted for the second place throwing a distance of 33.74 metres while U.M.I. Nayani (Urapola MMV) came third with 33.10 m.

Nayomi Gimhani (Sumana BMV,Ratnapura) created a new record in under 16 girls 400 m clocking 58.76 secs. She bettered the early record of 59.01 secs. Nadeeshani Anderson (Ave Maria Convent) came second clocking 1.00.68 sec while Oshadi Seneviratne (Ladies College) became third clocking 1.02.31 sec.

Heshan Amarasinghe (St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya) clocked 11.53 secs. To establish a new record in under 16 boys 100 m and followed by M.L. Ashantha Kumara (St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena) and P.M. Sandeepa Jayasekara (Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya).

Meanwhile, reputed junior athlete Shehan Ambepitiya (Gateway College) set up a new record in boys 100 m with a superb timing of 10.73 secs. The other new record was established by Udara Ratnayake (Gateway College, Nugegoda) in the 100m girls under 18 event where she clocked 12.58 secs. comprehensively.

D.M.A.G. Nawaratne of Poramadulla Central College was adjudged the best

boys’ junior athlete 2008 while Sashipraba Jayasinghe of St. Joseph’s Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle was named as best girls’ junior athlete 2008 through the meet.