Portland in front at JTA/Sagicor Champs

Portland hold an eight-point lead going into today's final day of the 35th staging of the JTA/Sagicor National Athletics Championship at the National Stadium.

Portland, who last won the title in 2012, are on 61 points after eight finals. They are followed by St Andrew 53, champions St Catherine 37, Clarendon 27, and Manchester on 25.5. Herman Reid, Portland's parish coordinator, was very happy with his team's performance, and he is confident they will put on a good showing on today's final day.

"We are happy for the lead," said Reid. "We have never led after the first day before, even the years when we won, because we have always been playing catch up on the last day," he said.

On the other hand, Mabracq Harris, coordinator of St Andrew, said he was confident that they would put on a good display today.

"We have a much better chance this year having reached more finals. We normally score heavily in the relays, and so we have a very good chance of winning," said Harris.

Victory

Portland's Ashleigh Samuels won the girls' Under-15 high jump with a leap of 1.43m ahead of her teammate Kristian Watson, 1.41m. Akalia Stephenson of St Andrew captured their Under-13 girls long jump with a mark of 4.60m ahead of her teammate Kayla Haughton, 4.58.

Portland's Kartia Burke won the girls' shot put open with a best of 8.61m while Ewan Lawrence, also from Portland, cleared 1.51m to capture the boys' Under-15 high jump.