Young athletes are putting in their final training as they look to compete in the 8th Annual Inter-Secondary Track and Field Meet, taking place from Tuesday 1st to Thursday 3rd March at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. 

An important event on the athletics calendar, the inter-school meet will pit the athletic abilities of students from John Gray High School, Clifton Hunter High School, Layman Scott Senior School, Cayman International School, UCCI, Cayman Prep and High School and St Ignatius against one another, all in the spirit of healthy competition.

Organised by the Cayman Islands Government’s Department of Sports in association with the Cayman Islands Athletics Association, the inter-school track and field meet puts the spotlight on Cayman’s talented young athletes, providing the opportunity for increased recognition for athletes and the chance for them to shine amongst their peers. Young people will compete in track competitions such as the 100m, 200m, 800m, 3000m and 4 x 100m relay, and field events such as long jump, shot put and javelin. Students will be split into groups by gender and age.

Mr Collin Anglin, Director, Cayman Islands Government Department of Sports, said he was especially pleased by the strong turnout of so many of Cayman’s high schools.

“Clifton Hunter High School leads the way with an impressive 150 participants, followed by John Gray High School with 100. Cayman Prep has 35 young people taking part, Cayman International School 27 and Layman Scott Senior School also has 27. UCCI  has 24 participants and St Ignatius 10. This is an excellent turn out which we hope to grow even further in the years to come,” he said.

The Hon. Osbourne Bodden, Minister of Sports, said the inter-secondary track and field meet was a very important event for the young people of the Cayman Islands.

“We constantly strive to foster healthy competition amongst Cayman’s secondary schools across the Islands, so the inter-secondary track and field meet serves this purpose very well,” he said. “In this way, we can help to encourage healthy school patriotism among our students. In addition, we believe track and field meets of this calibre elevate the profile of participating schools.”

Minister Bodden said events of this kind go a long way in promoting the importance of physical and mental development among Cayman’s youth by giving young people an excellent opportunity to showcase their athletic potential.

“Successful athletes require a huge amount of mental stamina, dedication and commitment to reach their goals. It requires hard work and long hours and we are therefore delighted to offer the opportunity for young people to demonstrate how hard they have worked to achieve their athletic success,” he said.

Minister Bodden said the Government was actively looking to increase the number of high school sports competitions as they have proved to be such a valuable tool in promoting youth development overall.