Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 18, 2019 (SKNIS): Student athletes of the Charles E. Mills Secondary School (CEMSS) continue to dominate in sporting achievement in St. Kitts, earning the elite titles of Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.
At the Department of Sports Excellence Award ceremony held at Government House on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, it was announced that Sharim Hamilton of CEMSS and Trishanna Warner now a student of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) are this year’s winners. Warner was a student at CEMSS during the assessment period. This marks the third time that student athletes from CEMSS have won the top awards.
In the same category for primary schools, the Primary Sportsman of the Year is Ronvyl Williams of the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School and Adrianna Bart of the Cayon Primary School as the Primary Sportswoman of the Year.
Director of the Department of Sports, Anthony Wiltshire, noted that the success of the student athletes is a collaborative effort with support from parents, coaches within the Department of Sports, teachers, and the government as a whole.
“To all of the recipients, you have worked extremely hard, Mr. Wiltshire stated. “Your perseverance has paid off. Today, you are reaping the fruits of your labour. Only in the dictionary does success precede work. Therefore, you must work harder to stay at the top. Your journey has only just begun.”
Primary School of the Year was the St. Paul’s Primary School and the High School of the Year was the Washington Archibald High School. The Primary School Teacher of the Year was Sharmaine Slader of the Irish Town Primary School while Adolphus Jones of the Saddlers Secondary School was recognized as the High School Teacher of the Year.
The winners of each category are as follows: Athletics Males – Ronvyl Williams, Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School, and Sharim Hamilton, CEMSS; Athletics Females – Zakiya Maynard, George Moody Stuart School, and Jahzara Claxton, CEMSS. In Football Males – Savik Morton, Tucker Clarke Primary School, and Tiquanny Williams, Verchilds High School (VHS). Football Female – Christe-Anne Mills, Washington Archibald High School (WAHS).
Other awardees are: Netball – Thyesa Richards, Saddlers Primary School, and Iona Wilson CFBC. Basketball – Tiquan Rogers, VHS. Cricket – Ronvyl Williams, Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School, and K’Von Esdaille, CEMSS. In Tennis, the male winner was Khalil Burroughs of the George Moody Primary School while the female awardee was Jayda Browne of the Seventh Day Adventist School. For Special Olympics awards went to T’Shawn Carty and Tanique Richards.
The Academic Athlete Excellence Awards went to Ronvyl Williams, Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School and Sharim Hamilton, CEMSS as the male honourees; while Zakiya Maynard, George Moody Stuart School and Iona Wilson, CFBC were the females honoured.
The Department of Sports also gave awards to staff members and other officials for invaluable support. Director Wiltshire stated that: “it is with a sense of pride that we recognize the contribution of individuals as well as entities. Our success is your success. We crave your continuous support as we chart the course for the positive development of our future – our nation’s youth.”
Notable winners include: The Director’s Award – Royd Phipps, Ian Nisbett, Cindy Benjamin and Carl Osborne. Coach of the Year – Maxime Isaiah and Michelle French-Nanton. Officials’ Award – Ashton Davis, Basketball; Sheldon Chiverton, Lawn Tennis; and Jacqueline Lewis Bassue, Netball. Supportive Entities recognized were the Frigate Bay Golf Club, Carambola Beach Club and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Department.
The awards ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including Governor General, His Excellency Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Honourable Shawn Richards, Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries of Youth, Education, and Tourism, National Hero Dr. the Right Excellent and Right Honourable Sir Kennedy Simmonds, President of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Olympic Committee, Alphonso Bridgewater.
