‘It’ll be a dogfight’

Kingston College (KC) head coach Leaford Grant and Jamaica College (JC) principal Wayne Robinson said it is going to be a dogfight to decide the winners of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Athletics Championships (Champs) title this year.

KC, the defending champions, lead the standing on 187 points, ahead of JC who have 179.50 after 24 events scored, entering the final day of competition at the National Stadium today.

JC take 28 finalists into 17 events today, while KC will have 26 and Grant says that despite a number of injuries, his team remains confident that it will retain the Mortimer Geddes Trophy.

“It’s a tough championships and a compressed one and we are having a lot of injuries, but we are going to fight to the end,” he said. “The boys are motivated and working and they are going to work on the final day, so it should be another ding-dong battle.”

Robinson said it is going to take the final event, the boys’ 4x400m Open relay, to decide this year’s title.

“I know that is going to be a fight to the end,” said Robinson, whose school last won the title in 2011.

“This is Champs and Champs always has a number of things, mishaps, mistakes, injuries, and all of that will take place [today], so the final determination will be after the final event.

“We are in a good place and we just have come out and give it our best shot.”

JC’s Javier Brown was the star performer yesterday as he broke the Class One 400m hurdles record, clocking 49.86 seconds. Brown erased the previous time of 49.94 seconds set in 2018 by Rovane Williams of Rhodes Hall School. Excelsior High School’s Devontie Archer finished second in 50.43s, while Camperdown High School’s Roshawn Clarke earned bronze in 50.93s.

FORBES WIN THE CLASS TWO HURDLES

KC’s Antonio Forbes won the Class Two equivalent hurdles in 51.84s.

St Elizabeth Technical High School’s Shamer Blake was second in 52.16s while third went to KC’s Shamari Jennings in 52.52s.

Calabar High School dominated the field events yesterday after winning four out of five events.

Kobe Lawrence secured the Red Hills-based institution’s first victory on the day when he won the Class One boys’ shot put with a mark of 19.00m.

His teammate Denzs Simmonds took home the bronze with a mark of 17.26m while Edwin Allen High School’s Christopher Young won the silver in 18.30m.

Javar Thomas won Calabar’s second event on the day when he struck gold in the Class Two boys’ triple jump event with a leap of 15.23m. KC’s Jaydon Hibbert finished second with a mark of 15.15m while third went to Michael Curriah from JC with a distance of 14.61m.

Kito Campbell recorded Calabar’s third victory in the field when he won the boys’ pole vault with a leap of 3.90m ahead of KC’s Jafar Moore, 3.80m. Campbell’s teammate Julian Francis finished with 3.80m.

However, Moore secured silver ahead of Francis after achieving the mark on his second attempt while Francis did it on his third try.

KC’s Shamir Kelly secured the gold medal in the Class Three boys’ long jump with a mark of 6.82m, ahead of Wolmer’s Boys’ Edward Sterling, 6.79m. Kelly’s teammate Roshawn Onfroy was third in the event with a leap of 6.40m.

Luke Brown wrapped up Calabar’s fourth on the day when he captured the Class One boys’ triple jump with a best mark of 16.31m. St Elizabeth Technical High School’s (STETHS) Jhavor Bennett grabbed the silver medal with a leap of 15.56m while third went to Wolmer’s Malik Drummond with 15.12m.

Today will be showcased by the running of the 200m finals over all three classes, plus the 4x100m in all three classes and the open class 4x400m.

robert.bailey@gleanerjm.com

1. KC 187

2. JC 179.5

3. Calabar 144

4. STETHS 93

5. St Jago 63

6. Edwin Allen 46

7. Wolmer’s 45.5

8. Excelsior 32

9. Maggotty 11

10. Clarendon College 9