Regions trade top positions as athletics programme begins

Ann Naasisho of Rift Valley clocked nine minutes 26.8 seconds to win the girls’ 3,000 metres crown during the opening day of Brookside Kenya Secondary Schools Term One National Athletics Championship at Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa.

Seventeen-year-old Naasisho said she was aiming to do better and register faster time but could not do so because of tough weather conditions.

“I wanted to run this event in bet­ter time but it was too hot and humid to do it,” she said.

Naasisho, who qual­i­fied for the East Af­ri­can Games in Aug­ust said she would train to win the re­gion­al ti­tle. “I want to prepare myself for the nation al Under-20 team,” said the Form One Savame Secondary student.

The Rift Valley run­ner was fol­lowed home by team mate, 19-year-old Hilda Chebet, a Form Four stu­dent of Kenswed Secondary who re­turned 9:27.0 with Jeniffer Mwende from East­ern tak­ing third position in 9:29.4.

Lena Nanjala of Nyanza won the girls’ 5,000m race walk in took 25:46.0 fol­lowed by Mary Mumbi Wanjiru of Central who fin­ished in 26:10.8 as Easther Karimi of Eastern came in third place in 26:50.5.

In boys category, Johnstone Meli of Rift Valley clocked 13:57.6 to win the 5,000m with team mate Maxon Kipngetich tak­ing third position in 14:13.6. Second place went to Joel Muturi of Nyanza who clocked 14:06.4.

In boys 10,000m men race walk, Central Region’s Boniface Ndungu Wanderi emerged the win­ner in 45:04.4, Pius Magara Nyaga of Eastern coming second (45:07.8) while Derrick Wanjohi of Central finishing third (45:13.3).

In the field event, Antonela Juma (Eastern) jumped a dis­tance of 5.33m to win the long jump with Desta Khasoa Wafula (Eastern) of eastern and Mercy Chebet (Rift valley) taking second and third pos­itions.