Edwin Allen, St Jago take Central Champs again

There were no surprises at the end of yesterday’s final day of the Central Athletics Championships at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports as defending champions Edwin Allen and St Jago High retained their respective titles.

The champions, in the process, walked away with $250,000 each from sponsors Digicel while the second - and third-place finishers in both sections received $100,000 and $50, 000, respectively.

Michael Dyke’s Edwin Allen girls did not have things their own way, as they were pushed all the way by a determined Hydel team (345.5 points), which eventually lost by 20.5 points, with Edwin Allen tallying 366 points to keep hold of their girls’ title. St Jago 306.5, Holmwood 279, and Vere Technical 131, closed out the top five finishers in the girls category.

It was an entirely different affair on the male side, with the Marlon Gayle-coached St Jago ending up with 348 points to remain unbeaten at these championships. Edwin Allen, 195.5, Clarendon College, 105, Holmwood, 93.5, and Charlemont, 81, closed out the top five among the male team.

Twelve records were broken yesterday, with Edwin Allen’s Tia Clayton leading the way with an impressive run in the Class Three 100m. Tia became one of the fastest 14-year-old female athletes in the world after posting 11.37 seconds to erase Brianna Lyston’s (St Jago) one year old record of 11.78 seconds. Hydel’s Alana Reid, 11.82, and her teammate, Kerrica Hill, 11.83 seconds, finished second and third.

Pleased

Clayton, who became the fastest female in the country this year, was pleased with her performance.

“I am very happy with the win and the time. I just followed the instructions of my coach, and I was very surprised that I ran that fast,” said Clayton, who stated that she is looking forward to the clash at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships next month with her sister - Tina - and Lyston.

Kevona Davis of Edwin Allen, was poetry in motion as she made light work of the Class Two 200m, winning in 23.24 seconds to erase her own record of 23.61 seconds, set last year. Joanne Reid (St Jago), 23.99 seconds, and her teammate, Thenell Ellis, 24.04 seconds, took second and third. Tina Clayton also had a good win for Edwin Allen in what was expected to be a close encounter in the Class Three 200m with Lyston. However, the fast-starting Tina Clayton covered her rival early on the curve, then pulled away on the straight away to win easily in 23.77 seconds as Lyston had to settle for second in 24.03 seconds.

St Jago girls were in record form in the sprint hurdles, where they won three out of four, with Crystal Morrison in Class Two and Rosealee Cooper in Class One leading the way. Morrison landed her event in 13.41 seconds to erase Holmwood Technical’s Shanette Allison’s record of 13.48 seconds as Velecia Williams (Hydel), 13.46, and Dyandra Gray (Holmwood), 13.68 seconds ran second and third.

Cooper continued her great improvement this season after taking the Class One 100m hurdles in 13.63 seconds to erase the old mark of 13.66 seconds held by former Vere Technical athlete Andrenette Knight.

Hydel had two double winners on the day through Class 1 athletes Ashanti Moore and Cherokee Young. Moore took the 100m in a wind-aided 11.46 seconds and the 200m in 24.05. Young took the 400m in 53.70 seconds and the 800m in 2:10.30