The announcer at yesterday's Middle Schools' Inter-School Sports could well have been mistaken for a stuck record when it came to declaring the winning school in various categories - it was all Sandys!

For the second successive year Sandys showed why they are the titans of track and field among middle schools as they wrested ten prizes and shared two others to claim 12 of the 17 top awards at the National Sports Centre.

"We trained hard after school and on the weekends down here at the stadium. We did very well today and we have to try and keep winning," declared a buoyant Kalita Furbert, captain of Sandys team, holding numerous trophies.

"I have a gift and I'm just going to use my gift and do my best. That's what I've been telling my team-mates too - to strive for excellence."

Among the impressive bounty being clutched by the ecstatic students from the south were the coveted Overall Championship, the Boys' Championship, the Girls' Championships and five of the six divisional titles.

In a phenomenal display of athletic prowess, Sandys blew away all-comers to be crowned champions with 236 points to Spice Valley's 162 and Clearwater's 137.

The winners edged out Spice Valley for the boys' title with 100 points to 95. Clearwater was third on 75. Among the girls, it was more emphatic as Sandys scored 136 points to a distant 67 by runners-up Spice Valley and 65 by Clear Water.

Sandys also took the spotlight in the Under-12 and Over-13 Boys' and Girls' divisional honours as well as taking the Under-13 Girls' trophy. Only Spice Valley's capture of the Under-13 Boys' title thwarted a clean sweep.

Many of the top performers in the six divisions also came from the Somerset institution with Angela Dickinson, David Brunson, Brittany Pitt, Kalita Furbert emerging as the best athletes in the Under-12 Girls, Under-12 Boys, Under-13 Girls and Over-13 Girls respectively.

Dickinson shared her Under-12 title Dickinson shared her Under-12 title with Deanne Lightbourn of Whitney Institute while Pitt shared her Under-13 glory with Spice Valley's Whitney Matthews.

Sandys physical education teacher, Joyann Clarke, hailed her team's achievement as "terrific" and being "the result of a lot of hard work".

"The children are really committed to what they're doing. When I first came here they were not as serious as they should be about the competition. Now they have seen its importance and - with these prizes - we have given them incentive to want to work. They just came out and did what they had to do," said the Barbadian, alluding to new awards on offer this year.

Meanwhile, Warwick Academy's Akil Smith prevailed in the Under-13 Boys with victories in the 100 metres, the triple jump and the long jump with a record-setting 5.2 metres.

Saltus Grammar School had something to shout about also as 14-year-old Tristan Francis not only dismissed everyone in the Over-13 Boys but also took the enviable Victor Ludorum trophy.

His outstanding performance saw records being shattered in the 200 and 400 metres as he established new marks of 23.4 and 54.1 seconds respectively, plus winning the 100 metres.

"I am really pleased. I feel good because it's my first time at Inter-School sports," he said, adding that Howard Ascento and Taijaun Talbot gave him stiff competition. Already anticipating next season, Francis' goal is "to bring up Saltus".

He and Victrix Ludorum Deanne Lightbourn claimed the two biggest titles that eluded Sandys. The latter was equally as satisfied as her male counterpart, savouring triumphs in the 400, 800 and 1,500 metres. Like Francis, this 12-year-old re-wrote the record books twice, lowering the 400 mark to 1:01.6 minutes and the 800 to 2:31.0 minutes.

"I feel proud. They were all pretty easy though I felt a little tired in the 1,500," said a grinning Lightbourn who repeated as Under-12 champion. She too expressed ambitions for the future - but much further ahead than next year.

"I want to represent Bermuda in the Olympics," she stated candidly.

Other records were set by Pitt in the Under-13 Girls' 1,500 metres (5:35.3 minutes); Lakeisha Wilson of Sandys in the Over-13 Girls' discus (24.32 metres); Kavon Hart of Sandys in the Over-13 Boys' discus (34.49 metres) and Talbot of Clear Water in the Over-13 Boys' 1,500 metres (4:45.5 minutes). Ascento of Bermuda Christian Academy tied the Over-13 Boys' long jump record of 5.73 metres.