Girls’ battle heats up!

Rusea’s High School’s Shamella Donaldson, competing for the last time at Champs, produced a moment of magic to win the Class One Girls Discus as defending champions Edwin Allen missed out on scoring opportunities on the second day of the 2019 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships.

Donaldson, who is in her third and final year in Class One, threw the disc to a massive personal best of 50.70m on her first attempt and could have spent the rest of the competition on a lounge chair, as none of her competitors came close to the mark.

Adrienne Adams of Excelsior High finished second with 47.32m, while Marie Forbes, the Vere Technical athlete who owns the record for the Class Two version of the event, grabbed the bronze medal with 46.94m.

“I am so overwhelmed right now. I have been aiming for this for a very long time and I got it. I am just excited,” Donaldson told The Gleaner.

Edwin Allen, who had two competitors in the final, only managed to score four points in the event, as Johnelle Johnson, 45.99m, was only good enough for fifth. Her teammate Kimone Reid did not make the top eight.

Reid earlier missed the Class One Girls Shot Put final by .14 metres after she only managed 11.09m in the preliminary round.

Interestingly, Hydel’s Tyest Bryan and Shania Parkinson are positioned to make the most of her mishap, as both secured qualification to Saturday’s final scheduled for 3 p.m.

Monifa Edwards also failed to deliver on expected points for the Frankfield-based Edwin Allen, as she finished third in the Class Two girls Shot Put final. Edwards, who was expected to win the event, only managed 13.36m. Sherene Williams, the sister of Olympic silver medallist Shericka Williams, won the gold medal with her 13.99m effort. Aaliyah Whyte of Wolmer’s High School for Girls finished second with 13.60m.

However, the Michael Dyke-coached Edwin Allen team looked better towards the end of the day, as all four sprint relay teams qualified for their respective finals on Saturday.

Holmwood Technical led the way in the 4x100 metres for Class Four Girls with 48.26 seconds, but eastern schools St Mary High and Titchfield pushed Hydel and Edwin Allen down the order, as they blitzed to 48.29 and 48.78 seconds in heat one of the preliminaries yesterday. Edwin Allen and Hydel have the sixth and eighth fastest times going into the Saturday’s final.

Edwin Allen are expected to shatter their record in the Class Three girls sprint relays at these championships but yesterday they only ensured that they got the baton around the track, as they cruised to 46.42.

They were also comfortable in Class Two, even without star sprinter Kevona Davis, registering a fast 44.99 second. The finals will be contested without Vere Technical, who false-started and St Jago who failed to carry the baton around the track.

In Class One, Edwin Allen had to settle for second in their heat as Holmwood won in 45. 29 seconds. Edwin Allen recovered from a slow start to register 45.82.

Today, Hydel will be looking to close the small margin on the six-time champions, as they have managed to qualify their two entrants to the Class Four girls Long Jump final scheduled for 3.25 p.m. Rohanna Sudlow triggered the automatic qualification with her 5.36m effort, while her teammate, Shevanea Jackson had the fourth farthest jump with 5.10m.

But the Class Three Girls High Jump, set for 10:50 a.m., will be the first final for the girls today.

Edwin Allen’s Rasheda Samuels is hoping to pull off an upset to build the momentum for her school again. She along with Vere Technical’s Annishka McDonald, St Andrew’s High Jo-anna Pinnock , favourite Torian Caven of Ardenne and Wolmer’s Malaika Cunningham triggered the automatic mark of 1.65m in the preliminary round yesterday.

Shantae Foreman, the outstanding high jumper for Excelsior High, is looking to win her first gold medal of these championships when she competes in the Class Two girls long jump final at 5.50 p.m. She jumped 5.78m comfortably in qualification on Tuesday and having registered 6.29m already this season, she could come close to Chanice Porter’s nine year-old mark of 6.43m.

The preliminary round of the 100 metres for all classes will also be contested today.

GIRLS POINTS STANDINGS (after two events)

Rusea’s High 23

Edwin Allen 10

STETHS 9

Wolmer’s High 7

Excelsior 7

Vere Tech 6

Hydel High 4

St Jago 3

Holmwood 2

Mavis Bank 2

Clarendon College 1