Gina Lovell takes Female Cross Country
Good evening. I?m James Adderley and we welcome you to this issue of Sports Monday. Mother?s Day not only brings with it a focus on the role of mothers, but it also produces the female cyclist of the year on that very special day.
So we take you to yesterday?s start of the seventeenth Annual Female Cross Country Cycle Classic a sixty-eight mile ride that leaves San Ignacio for the big finish inside the Marion Jones Sporting Complex here in Belize City. Twelve athletes are making a mid today including the defending champion Anthea Sutherland, and like we say in the business we?re on our way.
At Go-Slo, outside of United Ville on the Western Highway, Shantia Morrison walks out of the pack and would run for some five miles before she reeled in by Gina Lovell and the pack.
In the meantime Marinet Flowers out sprints, Shalini Zabaneh and Anthea Sutherland to grab the station prize on top of Brickwall inside Teakettle Village.
Around mile thirty-nine, Gina Lovell steps out to become the protagonist of this race and here she is passing the Belize Zoo with a 1 minute 20 second lead.
At mile twenty-nine Gina Lovell continues her impressive run people. While this chase pack led by Marinet Flowers is surely closing the gap at mile twenty-three.
The inevitable does occur at mile thirteen as Gina Lovell is enveloped by the pack. And now the lead group includes Shalini Zabaneh, Marinet Flowers, Alicia Thompson, Gina Lovell and Gabrielle Lovell.
At the Marion Jones Sporting Complex its Alicia Thompson and Gina Lovell entering first to complete the mandatory two laps. In the meantime Shalini Zabaneh and Marinet Flowers have joined the lead duo at the end of a very first slow lap. By the time the big sprint comes up the filed is seven strong. Its Gina Lovell of Team Lovell, punching the pace people to take first place in a time of 4 hours 19 minutes and 37 seconds, Alicia Thompson of B.T.L. takes second place, and Anthea Sutherland also of B.T.L. pulls up third, Marinet Flowers of Santino?s rolls in fourth, while Gabrielle Lovell rounds out the top five.
Gina Lovelle, Winner Female Cross Country
?Just like 2004 Cross Country, I took a chance, I was cramping up and I went all out. All I did was pray and I focused on two best female right now, Marinet Flowers and Shalini Zabaneh?
Kwame Scott,Reporting
?You won by Gina Lovell, the gap took three minutes or there about what were you thinking about??
Anthea Sutherland, Third Place Winner
?Nothing at all, I didn?t think about anything. I said if she is to win it, then that?s it.?
Marinet Flowers, Fourth Place Winner
?I was pretty strong coming into the track, and simple little mistakes and I lost my concentration and I came in fourth.?
In other cycling news, Saturday?s fifty-two mile race by the Belize Cycling Association saw Marlon Castillo takes top honours, Ernest Meighan second, and Gregory Lovell third, Juan Gonzalez fourth, and Andrew Smiling rounds out the top five.
Meanwhile the next big event on the cycling calendar is the fourth Father?s Day Cycle Classic set for Sunday, June eighteenth so we advise you to stay tuned.
Now lets head to the M.C.C. Grounds as F.C. Belize opened the RFG Trophy Tournament play offs yesterday by hosting the red hot Placencia Pirates.
It?s an impressive start for the home team when Rudolph Flowers unleashes this vicious left foot that forces a big time save out of the Placencia keeper Stephan Lopez.
Placencia responds immediately with a left foot of their own but goalkeeper Rawley shows up for F.C. Belize.
At the other end, the host team gets another real chance to score when Tyrone Muschamp fails to get it into the whole with a one on one situation with the goalkeeper.
Nevertheless we?re eighteen minutes in when Tyrone Muschamp finds the head of Jeromy James and he delivers to give F.C. Belize a 1-zip lead.
The Pirates almost come back immediately when Marvin Alvarado raises this ball into the danger zone. Goalkeeper Rawley miss reads but Ashley Torres of Placencia issues a full pardon.
The visitors keep the pressure on with of this corner kick that allows them a shot at goal, but the scoreboard remains unimpressed.
Things take a turn for the worse for Placencia when Daniel Thomas on this run to goal is taken down by the keeper and the referee rules penalty.
Tyrone Muschamp gets the call and he makes it a 2-zip. F.C. lead at the forty-third minute.
In second half action, Jeromy James floats this ball perfectly to Rudolph Flowers and at the fifty-fourth minute F.C. Belize has a 3-zip lead.
Folks sometimes things simply can?t go right and the Pirates are somewhat flustered that this header off the corner kick is turned back by the crossbar.
The Pirates look for a consolation goal late in the ballgame and when Bernard Linaires centers but Rawley intervenes effectively as F.C. Belize goes on to post the 3-zip big W.
In the other play off match-up New Site Erei blanked Hankook Verdes 2-zip, The schedule continues on Wednesday when Placencia Pirates will host New Site Erei at seven-thirty p.m. and Hankook Verdes will be at home against F.C. Belize game time is also seven-thirty p.m.
On Sunday Placencia Pirates travels to Hankook Verdes while also on Sunday New Site Erei comes to F.C. Belize at the M.C.C. Grounds.
In Guiness 8 Ball Pool Tournament news, On Friday Triangle tamed Lion King 8-2, while Copa got the pass from El Paso in a 10-zip no show. On Saturday Mike?s Club mashed MJ?s 6-4, while Shooters beat Triangle 6-4. On Thursday night Catt?s Place will travel to Copa that?s on Queen Street. And El Paso will visit Lion King.
Hey folks that?s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah overall, I am James Adderley.
