Athletes impress in field events

WHILE most attention was being focused on track events at last Saturday's Digicel/PUMA Youngster Goldsmith Classic inside the National Stadium, athletes in the field were making their mark with some strong performances, with Excelsior High's Shanice Love leading the way.

Love, who is conditioned by outstanding throwing coach, Michael Vassell, remained unbeaten this season after a splendid 51.92 metres to win the girls Class One discus.

Former Buff Bay High School top female thrower, Fiona Richards, who is now competing for Edwin Allen High, shared the spotlight as she was a double winner. Richards, who will not be eligible for this year's ISSA Boys and Girls' Championships, captured the Class Two discus with 48.27m, before winning the shot put with 15.46m.

Other outstanding female performances came from Kimberly Lugg of Excelsior and Sanique Burgher of Edwin Allen. Lugg captured the girl's Class Three discus with 35.00m, while Burgher soared 1.75m in winning the Class Three high jump.

Field events could play a major role in deciding the title at Champs this year and many of the top athletes were on show.

Calabar High's Class One thrower, Warren Barrett Jr, stayed unbeaten in the discus and shot put. He easily won the shot put with 19.30m, way ahead of second-place finisher, Vashon McCarthy, of Jamaica College (JC), with 14.86m.

UPSET

There was an upset in the boys' triple jump Open, as Campion College's Jordan Scott surprised JC's Obrien Wasome. Scott won with 15.81m, while Wasome had to settle for second with 15.44m.

Otherwise, JC showed their strength in the jumps with Clayton Brown getting the better of St Jago High's Lushane Wilson in the Class One high jump. An event which will be worth going miles to see at Champs, Brown cleared the bar at 2.18m to beat Wilson, 2.15m.

Other JC athletes, Paketo Dudley (7.25m) in the Class One long jump and John Mark Rainford, (5.79m) in the Class Three long jump, also won.

Kingston College's Zico Campbell was a double winner in the boys' Class Two throws. Campbell, formerly of Glenmuir High, took the discus with 53.18m and the shot put with an impressive 17.96m.