Story by Erwin Wong/Red Sports. Photos by Tan Jon Han/Red Sports
Singapore Sports School’s Veronica Shanti Pereira (second from left in red vest) controlled the B Division 200 metres final from gun to tape and won the gold in a new National Under-15 record of 25.68 seconds. (Photo 1 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)
Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Monday, April 25, 2011 — 14-year-old Veronica Shanti Pereira broke her own National Under-15 200 metres record of 25.89 seconds when she won the Girls’ B Division 200m final in a time of 25.68s at the 52nd National Inter-School Track and Field Championships.
Veronica was assigned Lane 4 as the fastest qualifer from the semi-finals, and made up the stagger on Lane 5 runner and second fastest qualifer, Ruelia Nesaranjini from North View Secondary, after only 50m. The Singapore Sports School student held her lead throughout and crossed the finish line 0.21 seconds quicker than her performance at February’s Singapore Athletic Association’s Track and Field Series 2 meet.
This time will be a new national under-15 record pending ratification from the SAA.
It was, however, not fast enough to break the B Division championship records. Mona Kunalan holds the hand-timed record of 25.5s (1987) while Nurulaini Ariffin set the electronically-timed mark of 25.65s in 1995.
The race itself was the fastest girls’ 200m race in schools history. Ruelia, last year’s B Division winner, finished second in 25.88s, just off her personal best of 25.85. Sports School’s Tallulah Luisa Braganca took the bronze in 26.10s. An unprecendented six runners ran quicker than 27 seconds in the same race. CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School student Thia Yi Yi, who finished sixth, would have won a medal at any other B Division 200m final in schools history with her time of 26.53s.
B Girls’ 200m Final Results
Position/Name/School/Time
1. Veronica Shanti Pereira, Singapore Sports School — 25.68 seconds (National Under-15 record, pending ratification)
2. Ruelia Nesaranjini, North View Secondary — 25.88
3. Tallulah Luisa Braganca, Singapore Sports School — 26.10
4. Eugenia Tan, Singapore Sports School — 26.22
5. Shermaine Yeo Xue Wei, Nanyang Girls’ High School — 26.48
6. Thia Yi Yi, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ — 26.53
7. Tey Yu Xuan Sheryl, Nanyang Girls’ High School — 27.22
8. Koh Hui Fang Rachel, Raffles Girls’ School — 27.29
Video embedded with permission of SAA and SSSC
Veronica (#109) made up the stagger on closest challenger Ruelia Nesaranjini (#80) after about 50m and held her lead to finish first in a masterful performance. This was her third straight 200m gold medal at secondary school level. (Photo 2 © Tan Jon Han/Red Sports)
Leave A Comment