Archibald, Gordon top UWI 5k

IT was a G.C. Foster College show at yesterday's sixth staging of the CB Group UWI 5K & Smart Eggs Kids K as Oshane Archibald and Shanice Gordon were crowned male and female 5K road race winners, while the Spanish Town-based institution topped the team award. Gordon clocked 21:17.00, while Archibald covered the course in 16:11.00.

Archibald, in winning the male title, made up for his second-place finish a year ago as the defending champion. Garfield Gordon, who won while representing Mavis Bank in the past, represented G.C. Foster College yesterday but had to settle for second this time in 16:16.00 as Daniel Glave, like he did a year ago, finished third in 16:50.00 seconds to make it a clean sweep for the top three spots for G.C. Foster.

Following success at the Knox Community College, Church Teacher's College and Digicel 5K events earlier this season, Archibald was winning his fourth race of the season. When the event got under way at the UWI front gate on Mona Road, Archibald stayed behind the front pair of Glave and Gordon for the majority of the race before making his decisive move at the 4K mark at the University Chapel to take the lead, which he held onto for the remainder of the race.

Archibald said that he did not panic when his teammates led early. "This is the way I train as I worked with them, and I did not panic because I knew that I had that final kick to get by them. I feel very good for another victory on the road this season and I want to continue winning for the remainder of the season," said Archibald. He added that the Mico Pump It Up 5K road race this Sunday will be his next target before closing at home the following week at the G.C. Foster

College 5K.

Despite not being popular on the road circuit, the 22-year-old Gordon, formerly of Manchester High and a first-year student at G.C. Foster College, was a very easy winner of the female section. A winner of the Church Teacher's College and the Portmore Burger King 10K, Gordon was very pleased about her third success of the year in her first season of regular competition on the road.

NOT SURPRISED

"I am extremely happy with my win today (yesterday) and I am not surprised with the win as, with no hills to be contended with, this was an ideal route for me," she said. It was a quinella for G.C. Foster College as her teammate Kelly-Ann Beckford finished second in 21:55.00 seconds, while veteran Arieta Martin, representing Rainforest Seafoods, came in third in 24:27.00.

Like in previous years, the event was once again used as a major fundraising event for the university scholarship, which has benefited several top athletes in different sporting disciplines.

Pro-vice chancellor and principal of the UWI Mona campus, Archibald McDonald, said that: "The CB Group 5K and Smart Eggs Kids K provide the opportunities of a lifetime to academically outstanding student recipients who simply cannot afford the tuition. This event not only changes the fortune of the scholarship recipient, but generations to come in their families. Also, it shows others in their communities that they can have the audacity of hope."

- R.G.

Selected top three results

5K Wheelchair

Males

1. Alphanso Cunningham (Jamaica Para Wheel) 35:23.00

2. Marcus Banton (Jamaica Para Wheel) 36:21.00

3. Joel Brown (Jamaica Para Wheel) 39:56.00

Females

1. Vinnette Green 38:25.00

2. Coleen Morrison (Jamaica Para Wheel) 40:04.00

3. Maureen Saunders (Jamaica Para Wheel) 53:34.00

Kids K Awards

Males

1. Timothy Fokum 4:52.00

2. Zahir-Amiri Plunkett 5:05.00

3. Brandon Davis 5:10.00

Females

1. Aneita Gutzmore 5:20.00

2. Davia McFarlane 5:24.00

3. Abigail Corrigan 6:42.00

Champion Hall (Run): Chancellor Hall

Champion Hall (Walk): Elsa Leo-Rhynie Hall

Champion Team (Walk): Sun City Radio