SB College’s Benjamin Babu on his way to the 3000m steeple chase record at the MG University athletics championships in Pala on Tuesday. Photo: Stan Rayan
| Photo Credit: Stan Rayan
Alphonsa’s Akhila Raju bettered the women’s discus throw record by more than six metres. Photo: Stan Rayan
| Photo Credit:
Stan Rayan
Maharaja’s V.S. Bhavika (left), the championship’s fastest woman, finished with a sprint double taking the 200m too. Photo: Stan Rayan
| Photo Credit:
Stan Rayan
Idukki’s Benjamin Babu, a distance runner who developed a taste for the 3000m steeple chase three years ago, broke the event’s meet record in the 42nd Mahatma Gandhi University athletics championship at the Municipal Stadium here on Tuesday.
Benjamin, from the hilly Pushpakandam near the Tamil Nadu border and representing Changanassery’s St. Berchmans College, bettered his personal best while taking the gold, his second here after his 5000m victory on Monday.
“I was sure I’d break the record,” said Benjamin who was virtually all on his own after the opening lap and won by a big margin.
Meanwhile Mar Athanasius V.M. Abhirami, who had been close to 6m three years ago, took the women’s long jump title with 5.77m. Janice Treesa Reji, the State junior champion with 5.85m in October but recovering from a foot injury now, could only finish fourth with 5.46m.
St. Dominic’s M. Manoop, who had won the quartermile on Monday, rewrote the 400m hurdles record for his second gold while Alphonsa’s Akhila Raju, who trains at Kasargod’s KC Throws Academy, broke the 16-year-old meet women’s discus throw record by more than six metres!
And Maharaja’s V.S. Bhavika, the championship’s fastest woman, finished with a double taking the 200m title.
St. Berchmans College won the men’s team title after some 20 years, beating traditional powerhouse Mar Athanasius, while Alphonsa regained the women’s title.
The results (winners only):
Men: 200m: Halvi S. Vij (Mar Athanasius) 21.60s. 800m: Anto Antony (St. Dominic’s) 1:51.40s. 10,000m: R.S. Manoj (Mar Athanasius) 32:14.30s. 110m hurdles: C.B. Shintomon (St. Dominic’s) 14.43s. 400m hurdles: M. Manoop (St. Dominic’s) 51.10s MR, OR 51.49.
3000m steeple chase: Benjamin Babu (St. Berchmans) 9:22.60s MR, OR 9:24.00. Triple jump: V.A. Rahenth (St. Berchmans) 15.07m.
Hammer throw: Athul K. Pratheep (St. Joseph’s Academy, Moolamattom) 41.33m. Decathlon: Juvan Reji (St. Berchmans) 5873 pts.
4x100m relay: Mar Athanasius, Kothamangalam (42.00s). 4x400m relay: St. Dominic’s, Kanjirappally (3:17.60s).
Women: 200m: V.S. Bhavika (Maharaja’s) 24.30s. 800m: Shivanki (Alphonsa) 2:21.00s. 10,000m: N. Pournami (Mar Athanasius) 38:01.80s. 400m hurdles: Aparna K. Nair (Alphonsa) 1:01.20s. 3000m steeple chase: K.P. Sanika (Mar Athanasius) 11:54.10s. Long jump: V.M. Abhirami (Mar Athanasius) 5.77m. High jump: A. Anupriya (Mar Athanasius) 1.59m. Triple jump: Aleena T. Saji (Assumption) 12.82m. Pole vault: Chinchumol Mathew (Alphonsa) & S. Arathy (Assumption) both 3.05m. Javelin throw: Thaleetha Kummi Sunil (Assumption) 37.38m. Discus throw: Akhila Raju (Alphonsa) 47.85m MR, OR 41.11m. Heptathlon: Mariya Thomas (Alphonsa) 4095 pts. 4x100m relay: Assumption (47.70s). 4x400m relay: Alphonsa (3:54.30s).
Team championships: Men: 1. St. Berchmans, Chgy 155.5 pts, 2. Mar Athanasius, Kothamangalam 132.
Women: 1. Alphonsa, Pala 193 pts, 2. Assumption, Chgy 140.
Published – December 04, 2024 03:55 am IST