St Andrew in control at JTA Champs

St Andrew parish took a major step towards retaining the Jamaica Teacher's Association (JTA)/Sagicor National Primary, All Age and Junior High Athletic Championship at the National Stadium yesterday.

The defending champions lead St Catherine by over 20 points ahead of today's finale.

St Andrew ended the day with 69.50 points, followed by St Catherine with 43.50, Kingston are on 38, Portland 33 and Clarendon 23, to round off the top five.

Nemoy Cockett was the main contributor on the day, with victories in the boys open shot put and open high jump events. The John Mills All-Age student took the shot put with a mark 13.15m and won the triple jump with a leap of 1.65m. He was also fifth in the long jump and revealed that he had the champion boy prize on his mind.

HIGH JUMP

"The high jump was a bit shaky because I wasn't concentrating, but I went out and executed. But my coach had to motivate me through the high jump. In the shotput, I wanted to break the record and I went out and did my best, but there was a slight wind that was giving me problems. I give 22 points, but I wanted to get the Champion Boy from the sponsor because my mother doesn't have it," he said.

Meanwhile, St Andrew captured four of the eight finals contested on the first day, including Cockett's two wins. Dantae Pollack won the boys open long jump (5.69m) and Bryanna Johnson took the girls open high jump (1.40m). Kingston's Janealia Brown and Kishuana Smith won the long jump (5.26m) and the shot put (7.78m), respectively.

St Catherine's Kamar Whittle won the boys 7-8 cricket ball throw and Sue-Ann McPherson took the girls' equivalent.