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Long, Brown, Pinnock honoured at Western Relays

Published:Friday | February 14, 2020 | 12:25 AMHubert Lawrence/Gleaner Writer
Pinnock
Pinnock

Wayne Long and high-school student athletes Lotavia Brown and Wayne Pinnock were all in the spotlight at Saturday’s 42nd staging of the Milo Western Relays. Long, a veteran meet computer manager, served as patron of the meet while Brown and Pinnock were presented with Gleaner Youthlink awards for their performances in 2019.

Long has been associated with the Western Relays and local athletics in general for over 30 years and his firm OnDiRun is a leading facilitator of meet entry, data management and result processing services.

Humbled by his selection as patron at a well-attended meet on the grounds of the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, he said, “You do this not for the reward, but you do it because there’s a need for the service. It feels pretty good when they recognise you’re doing something good.”

Though he and his wife Carol have served the sport for decades, the zest for athletics still gives him a buzz.

“It’s still there,” he said. “It’s still there from the days of the National Hurdles and Field Events, the days of the STETHS meet, the Morant Bay Relays.”

He has seen the computerisation of meets in Jamaica and foresees more evolution coming.

“We see a paperless track meet, where we can get results at the click of a button in an instant, where meet results and meet entries will be seamless. I think we’re looking forward to that day,” Long predicted.

Brown, an outgoing senior at Edwin Allen High School, won the triple jump at both the Carifta Games and the Pan American Under 20 Championships and received her Youthlink award after helping her school win the Class One 4x100m relay in 44.80 seconds.

Pinnock, winner of the long jump last year at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs), the Carifta Games, the Penn Relays, and the Pan Am Under-20 meet, had earlier helped Kingston College to a 40.63 second victory in the Class One 4x100m.

His Champs win was accomplished with record jumps of 7.95 and 8.05m. Both Youthlink awardees are coached by jumps expert Jeremy Delisser.

In addition, he also lowered the Champs Class One 110m hurdles record to 13.06 seconds, with coach Rhansomn Edwards directing his work in this discipline.