Meighan wins Cayo bike race
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and here’s another version of Sports Monday. With the capping of the remainder of the cycle racing calendar, the riders have been clamouring for action so Santino Castillo stepped in yesterday with the Honda Hill Classic – a 52 mile journey that ran from capital city Belmopan to Santa Elena, Cayo and back.
It’s the early morning start around the ring road in capital city as some thirty riders listen intently to race sponsor Santino and of course they’re off. Outside of Ontario the Cayo team of Jose Choto, Shane Vasquez and Juan Gonzalez along with Douglas Lamb, make this move to reel in Ernest Meighan and Nigel Matus. Not taking any chances with the Cayo riders, the lead duo decides to make a run to the halfway mark. In the rear, 4 cyclists: Ian Smith, James Frampton, Mateo Cruz and Quinton Hamilton decide to set chase. But at Santa Elena it’s still Ernest Meighan being trailed by Nigel Matus.
On the way back Meighan and Matus slow down the pace and are being joined by Quinton Hamilton, Douglas Lamb and Rafael Castillo of Mexico. Behind them, the chase bunch, which includes Ian Smith, Ray Cattouse, Orson Butler and the Cayo team join forces in an effort to reach the lead pack. Rafael Castillo of team Heineken has fallen off the lead pace and these are the big four to arrive at Belmopan for the two laps finish around the ring road.
Here comes the sprint for the money. It’s Ernest Meighan who pulls the trigger, Quinton Hamilton fades first while Nigel Matus cannot hang on to the speedster as “Jaw Meighan” wins in convincing fashion. Nigel Matus settles for second, Hamilton third, James Frampton fixes his attire as he rounds out the top 5 finishers.
Q: “You won at the halfway mark. You stayed with the lead group coming all the way to Belmopan. Coming down to this last lap, were you challenged? Did you have any fear? Was there anything you saw that posed a major challenge for you?”
Ernest Meighan, Winner
“I knew that I would win the sprint because as far as Quinton Hamilton goes I knew he would be the only one close behind me so I realized that the main field would be catching up in the last lap. So I decided that the main thing would be working hard and keeping them from catching us. Then later on I worked so hard that I suffered a cramp during the last curve to the sprint, but I still won the race.”
Q: “Looking at the sprint, certainly we expected more from you and Hamilton to challenge “Jaw Meighan” in the sprint. Could you comment on this?
Nigel Matus, Second Place
“Well, like I said Jaw Meighan is the fastest in Belize but my teammate was telling me that he was catching cramp because he is faster than me on the end. But I didn’t listen to him and I started to lead out the sprint from the ring road and by the time I reached here I was burnt. And when I looked I was in the second because of his cramp.”
Q: “Are you satisfied with the progress of Nigel Matus today?”
Nigel Matus
“That’s alright because I am not a winner; I’m just a work horse.”
Turning to the softball scene, the Belize Rural All Stars found themselves 1 win away from the 1998 National Female All Stars Tournament title at Roger’s Stadium. All they had to do was mop up the Cayo team after Belize has been ousted in this triangular. On the mound for Belize Rural is Valerie Humpries with runners at first and second when she serves this pitch to Olivia Trimbrel who flies out to center. The throw to first is good for the double play but the first baseman gives away a run in the attempt for a triple play.
In the bottom of the second, Belize Rural strikes for 2 runs against starting pitcher from Cayo Keuran Hewlett off this blast to take a 2-1 lead. So the west goes to Josephine Meighan for relief who gets the job done by effectively shutting down the offense for the rural team. In the top of the seventh, the Cayo team breaks open a close ball game to show a 16-2 score. With that cushion, the Cayo team slamed the door with Kenisha Sutherland in relief. She comes up with the strike out, then gets this batter to hit to first base and Cayo All Stars take the 1998 female marathon and we say congratulations.
In football news, the lights at the M.C.C. have been fixed and it might have helped the Yabra Sporting Club to a 2-zip “W” over city rival Acros. Up north La Victoria held Juventus to a 2-2 stalemate to start the second round of the B.F.L. tournament. Jube out lasted Real Verdes 2-1, Belmopan Builders and Southern United settled for a 2-2 stalemate while Sagitun hurt the Dangriga Jaguars 3-1.
Finally I just want to say get ready for tertiary level volleyball by St. John’s College. It comes up on November twenty-eighth. That’s it for now though, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.
