Five more records tumble on the second day

BERNARD PERERA

Five more records tumbled on the second day of the Junior National Athletic Championships at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday making it a total of 14 records so far.

I. D. Sharanga Harshana of Gurukula MV, Kelaniya who lowered the existing mark for the 800 m. on the opening day during the heats, failed to live up to expectations to maintain the same timing, clocking a time of 2:02.53 seconds far behind his time in the heats. The boys under 20 and 18, 3,000 m steeple chase events too also saw new records established. W. M. J. E. Weerasinghe who clocked 9:31.30 seconds to eclipse the record for under 20 which was set by W. P. Hargarapitiya which stood at 9:44.0 secs.

Meanwhile in the under 18 it was Y. G. N. Wijesinghe who lowered the timing for the 3,000 m, running the same in only 8:50.94 secs to better it. The earlier record stood at 9:16.7 under the belt of W. M. J. Weerasinghe of Ratnayake Central.

B. M. A. M. Basnayake set the fourth record for the 800 m. under when she ran the distance in 2:26.63 secs. The only record in the field events was achieved by J. M. D. Anne Piumali of St. Anne?s BMV, Wattala in the girls pole vault. She cleared a height of 2.90 m. to set this new record.

The new records:

3,000 m boys u-20: W. M. J. E. Weerasinghe (Ratnayake MV) - 9:31.30.

3,000 m boys u-18: Y. G. C. Y. Wijesinghe (Ratnayake MV) - 8:50.94 secs.

3,000 m girls u-18: Y. M. J. D. D. Kumari (Ratnayake MV) - 10:44.03 secs.

800 m girls u-16: B. M. A. M. Basnayake (Ratnayake MV) - 2:26.63 secs.

Pole vault girls u-20: J. M. D. Anne Piumalie (St. Anne?s BMV, Wattala) 2.90 m.