BACK AT THE TOP: Miri athletes and officials celebrating their victory after wrestling back the overall championship title from Kuching at the Bintulu Stadium last Saturday.
KUCHING: Miri led from start to finish in the 41st Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Track and Field Championship at Bintulu Stadium last Saturday to emerge overall champions after amassing 448 points.
They captured 28 gold, 35 silver and 24 bronze medals to finish ahead of defending champions Kuching who had 324 points accumulated from winning 21 golds, 24 silvers and 21 bronzes.
Sarikei, which dominated in the throw events, were third with 283 points after capturing 25 golds, 14 silvers and 11 bronzes.
Despite bagging only nine golds, 12 silvers and 21 bronzes, host Bintulu pipped Sibu to finish fourth as they collected 224 points compared to the latter’s 210.5 points from their haul of 15 golds, 10 silvers and 14 bronzes.
They are followed by Samarahan (144 points), Betong (63), Limbang (63), Kapit (57), Mukah (49.5) and Sri Aman (39).
RECORD BREAKER: Grace Wong with coach Thomas Ling after breaking the Girls U14 shot put record. — Photos by Tommy Ng
Meanwhile, five more old records tumbled on the final day of competition at the Bintulu Stadium last Saturday.
Sarikei’s star athlete Grace Wong Xiu Mei broke the meet record of 9.96m set by Ngu Mee Zing in 2005 by throwing a new distance of 11.28m in the Girls U14 shot put.
This mark also surpassed the national MSSM record of 11.22m set by Siti Norain in 2005.
Faradillah Raznie won another gold medal in record-breaking fashion in the Girls U18 800m when she clocked 2: 21.62s, thus shattering the 16-year-old record of 2:23.82s created by Teo Ai Kim of Miri in 1997.
Aron Ng Yun Ping clocked 2:03.41s in the Boys U15 800m to erase the old mark of 2:04.21s set by Noel Deland Nihang in 2003.
The other two new records were created by Kuching which won the Boys U18 4x100m relay in a time of 43.10s (old record – 43.30s) and Miri which won the Girls U14 4x400m relay in 4:26.32s (old record – 4:29.69s).
At the end of the four-day state championship, 80 athletes including 40 girls were selected to represent Sarawak in the MSSM Track and Field Championship in Kuantan, Pahang from May 19-23.