Category: Sports

The ninety-fourth running of the Annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is in the books. It was one for records. After five hours and thirty-nine minutes of race time, Honduran rider, Luis Lopez emerged as the victor. He is the first Honduran national to win the race. Belizean Carlton Robinson placed fourth after a valiant effort in the one-hundred-and-forty-four-mile race. He was the first Belizean to cross the finish line. Even more impressive, the first nine riders to finish the race broke a sixteen-year finishing time record. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

At six a.m., one hundred and sixteen riders lined up at the starting line in front of the Digi Park in Belize City. According to the Cycling Federation of Belize, nineteen of them were foreign riders. Leading the pack at the starting line is defending champion Oscar Quiroz. After a ride through the streets of Belize City, the race officially began at mile one and a half on the George Price Highway. Just outside of Belize City, six riders broke away from the main field of riders, creating a small gap. Among them are Honduran Luis Lopez, Belizeans Gregory Lovell, Carlton Robinson, Brandon Cattouse and American John De Long. At mile twenty-six, it’s still these six riders leading the pace, riding some twenty-six miles an hour.

Just outside of La Democracia, Joslyn Chavarria Junior broke away from the group of lead riders as the chase group, in hot pursuit, was finally able to close the gap. By mile thirty-three the entire field of riders was back together. Three at mile thirty-five, a small group of lead riders has been formed, when out of nowhere, Honduran Luis Lopez emerged from the chase group and launched a massive attack. He blew across and began opening a massive gap. Into Belmopan, it was all Luis Lopez, that is until American Clayton Travis blew past Lopez. Wasani Castro was in hot pursuit of Clayton. Travis displayed an elite level of endurance and racing, riding into San Ignacio and crossing the halfway point with an over one-minute gap between himself and the main field of riders. In Unitedville, on the way back to Belize City, it is still Travis Clayton. He has been in the lead for more than thirty miles.

With American Cory Lockwood leading the pace, the main field of riders finally caught up with Travis heading into Camalote Village. Towards Rockville, Belizean Carlton Robinson and Joslyn Chavarria are on the chase with two American riders, as they try to catch up with American Cory Lockwood who had a thirty-second lead. It wasn’t long after that Lockwood was caught and it was a whole new race leaving Hattieville, with only two Belizeans in a lead group of seven. Heading into mile eight, Carlton Robinson sets chase behind Guatemalan Alex Julajuj, with the other lead riders in hot pursuit.

A few miles from the finish line, Luis Lopez is in the lead as he is being marked by Carlton Robinson and Alex Julajuju. Lopez launched an attack in front of the Lord Cemetery, Robinson answered the call along with two other riders and reined in Lopez. A mile outside of the finish line it’s all Luis Lopez. Fans assembled at the DIGI Park, cheering on, as Luis Lopez crossed the finish line first and claimed the coveted Garland. He was followed by Julajuj, Abner Maxwell in third, and Carlton Robinson in fourth, also the first Belizean to cross the finish line. With finishing times below five hours, forty minutes and twelve seconds, the first nine riders to finish the race, broke the record of five hours, forty minutes and twelve seconds set by Rayan Baumann in 2008.

Luis Lopez, 94th Cross Country Champion

“To have a good race for the most important competitions I really wanted to push myself hard to give me confidence for the important races that come later. I wanted to push it to the end. There was a big lead that came later, and I waited, I was very patient. I felt very exhausted, but I found that the ones ahead of me were much more exhausted, so I waited until the end to push myself although I was exhausted. The strategy was to hit it with everything I had, save nothing. I knew I was coming in with so many riders, but I knew if I put in a though race, possibly in the end I was going to have a small advantage, a difference and well that turned out in the end.”

Carlton Robinson, First Belizean to Cross Finish Line

“It was a day, a really really hard race. I just want to thank God, my dad, my sponsors. I really tried keep it together, I know if it was brought a bit closer I could have won it in a sprint. I know if ih came closer I could have won it in a sprint. I guess the guys figured I am very fast and so they started to attack, attack, attack and I couldn’t go anymore.”

Paul Lopez

“Despite the position you came, how does it feel to be the first Belizean to cross the finish-line?”

Carlton Robinson

“It feels amazing, but I really wanted the win, but I have to be happy with this result.”

Goodnight, and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. As we near the end of Women’s Month, we begin tonight’s coverage with highlights from the thirty-third running of the Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic. Eleven riders lined up at the starting line in San Ignacio. Among them were three Belizeans, including defending champion Kaya Cattouse, four American riders, two Mexicans, a Trinidadian, and a Jamaican rider.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Heading into Central Farm, its Jamaican rider, Lory Sharp, setting the pace. Twenty minutes later, Sharp is still in the lead, followed closely by Trinidadian rider Alexis Ramirez in second place. At this point in the race, Kaya Cattouse is the only Belizean rider keeping up with the main field of lead riders. The other two have fallen behind. In Camalote Village, Sharp has displayed a great deal of endurance and stamina as she continues to lead the charge. LA Sweat’s Elizabeth Stevenson in hot pursuit. These riders have created a gap between themselves and the other riders.They maintained their lead until mile forty, when the chase group caught up with them, led by LA Sweat’s Mia Scarleto.

Mexican rider Julie Aguilar launched an attack just outside of St. Mathews Village. LA Sweat’s Regina Doty immediately rose from her seat in hot pursuit. Well, folks, that was the last the other riders would see of Aguilar and Doty. Here is the main field of riders, two minutes behind the two lead riders. Kaya Cattouse, the only Belizean rider still in the pack, is among this group. Heading into Belize City, it is all Doty and Julin Aguila. With less than half a mile to the finish line, Doty and Aguila turn up the heat for an all-out sprint. And here it is folks, the sprint to the finish line. Regina Doty followed by Julin Aguia.

Regina Doty, Champion, 33rd Women’s Cross Country

“If you race fearful, you are never going to win.You cant race with fear. I was willing to give it all I have. I attacked to see what she had. I attacked and attacked quickly, even after seventy miles. I know what my body is capable of. I was trying to see if she was strong enough, but she didnt want it and I was there to take it.”

Kaya Cattouse, LA Sweat Rider

“Going into it, our game plan was to bring it down to the line for me. We quickly realized that the other team’s focus was on me. Our back up plan was to get one of our other stronger pacers on the road and hopefully they could  deliver that W. That is exactly what happened today when we realized we couldn’t get away from them for third place, i launched Liz down the road for that third spot. Belizeans wanted a Belizean win but we came for an LA Sweat win and that is exactly what we got today.”

Kaya Cattouse came in sixth place. From cycling, we move into some basketball action. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks took on the Belize City Defenders. The Sharks had something to prove after being defeated by the Defenders the last time they faced off inside the Belize City Civic Center. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks are on a roll. After defeating the number one seed in the BEBL, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes, last week inside the Civic, on Saturday night they went up against the number two seed, the Belize City Defenders. It is safe to say that this is a new Tiger Sharks team we are seeing after also winning their game against the Defenders one hundred and four to seventy points.

The Shark’s number seven, Bobby Athur Williams, played thirty-seven minutes and put up an impressive thirty-three points. That includes three of four from the three-point line and five of eleven two pointers. Williams also banked fourteen of his sixteen free throw attempts. Francis Arana followed behind with eighteen points off  the bench, scoring five of his ten two-point attempts and two of his six three-point attempts. He ended the game with eleven assists. Arana was also big on the defensive end, securing five steals for his team on Saturday night. Jihad Wright and Daniel Conorque both finished the game with fifteen points each. What Wright lacked from the arch he made up for with his two-point shots and free throws. Conorque was forty-four percent efficient from the field on Saturday night. We heard from coach Rico Black and Francis Arana following their victory.

Rico Black, Coach, San Pedro Tiger Sharks

“The beginning of the season, it was very difficult to get my players together. We had to transition from San Pedro and come here and we couldn’t get the Civic to work out. So it was very difficult. The opening night you saw we weren’t playing, we weren’t really then we gave our game to the Defenders, the second game. But now that we are working out, odd hours, ten to twelve at nights, but we are making the sacrifice. So we are getting together, the team is believing in themselves. I am letting my bench believe that they can play at this level.”

Francis Arana, San Pedro Tiger Sharks

“Well as the season goes on we are gradually getting our chemistry together. SO now we are learning to play together much better. And we are seeing the chemistry everytime we come out and put in the work together and it is showing on the court now.”

The Tiger Sharks are now second in the league’s standings. Well folks, that’s all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. We begin tonight’s coverage with an epic showdown of strength and discipline over the weekend inside the Saint John’s College Gymnasium. The Belize Powerlifting Association hosted its National Championships. Over the course of two days, twenty-one male and fourteen female powerlifters competed in their respective age and weight classes.  For those who may be unfamiliar with the discipline, it entails three attempts and maximal weight on three lifts: squats, bench press, deadlifts.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Most of these athletes prepare year-round for these competitions. After two days, winners were declared in each category, but the monster events were the male and female open. In the female open, Belize’s strongest female, Mary Gonzalez, won gold overall, Joylynne Smith secured the silver medal and Jaqueline Alas took home the bronze medal. In the male open, Belize’s strongest man, Kaylon Godoy took home gold, with an incredible seven hundred- and sixty-five-pounds deadlift. He had his young fans out showing support. Leo Matura showed tremendous improvements this year. He secured the silver medal, while Khalid Usher tool home the bronze medal. From powerlifting we move into some football action.

The William Dawson Peace Cup is in the eleventh week of its 2024 season. This weekend saw four games played inside the MCC Grounds. We bring you highlights from the match between Kelly Street FC and Fort George FC. The first forty-five minutes of the match between these two teams saw great defensive and offensive prowess on both ends of the field. No goals were scored at the end of the first half, though the competitiveness of these teams was on full display. Ten minutes into the second half, the ball finds number seventeen for Fort George at the top of the goal. Number eleven for Kelly Streets stays on his side. The ball appears to go out of bound and the defenders raises his arm. But there is no whistle and a kick from inside the penalty box by Devin Bermudez placed Fort George on top.

The referee got into a heated debate with players from Kelly Street FC that led to the issuance of two red cards, the involvement of police officers and a threat from the losing team to discontinue the match. Eventually cooler heads prevailed, and the match continued with Kelly Street down two players. At the seventy-fourth minute, Fort George’s Carlos Lino was brought down inside the penalty box from a hard tackle. The referee awarded him a penalty kick and he made it count. The match ended in favor of Fort George FC, three goals to two.

And finally for tonight, the Cycling Federation of Belize, in collaboration with the Belize Electricity Limited hosted the twenty-third annual Junior and Youth Cross Country Cycling Classic. The male riders raced from San Ignacio to Belize City. The female riders journeyed from La Democracia Village to Belize City. Just outside of Belmopan, Chavarria’s Cycling Team’s Kthan Gentle and PDP Development Racing’s Kevin Rojas have gained a significant lead and are on their own out front. An hour later and it’s still these two young riders maintaining the lead, while the chase group worked to close the gap.

With twenty miles left in the race, GFlow’s Jaylen Briceno emerged from the chase group and made contact with the two lead riders.  Kthan Gentle was dropped at mile eleven, leaving Briceno and Rojas at front going into Belize City. Approximately one mile from the finish line, Rojas began cramping up and Jaylen Briceno took hold of the opportunity. Briceno crossed the finish line alone in first place. Rojas came behind him in second place, followed by Gflow’s Keith Enwright Junior in third place.

Jaylen Briceno, Junior Cross Country Champion

“This is definitely the hardest race of the season so far. My legs were cramping, I didn’t think I was gonna finish on top. I started praying when I crossed the bridge, please let something happen. Thank goodness the man cramped up right on the last stretch, that is when I took the advantage to attack on come into the line. Big kudos to my teammates, to all my family.”

Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.