Central Champs acid test for Edwin Allen

AFTER AN underwhelming performance at last Saturday’s Gibson McCook Relays, ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championship (Champs) title holders, Edwin Allen, face the acid test of Central Championships over the next two days.

The Michael Dyke-coached team, who are also the reigning Central champions, will come up against some heavyweights, including Champs title contenders Holmwood Technical and Hydel High School, at GC Foster College starting at 8:30 a.m.

Central Champs, which has shared the same winners as Champs over the last 45 years, is normally used as an indicator heading into the high school season’s main event.

Edwin Allen will be hoping to put things right over the next two days, but hot on their heels will be Holmwood Technical and Hydel, who could overthrow the defending champions.

Vere Technical, St Jago High and Manchester High, who have all won Champs, could make it rough for Edwin Allen.

Based on the entries for the meet, teams are not holding back, leaving for some mouthwatering clashes.

The opening track event, the 3000 metres Open, will see Holmwood’s Ugandan athlete, Florence Nafamba, taking on the Edwin Allen duo of Sanyae Gibson and Sushana Johnson, along with Hydel’s Kaydeen Johnson. St Jago’s Brittania Willis and St Catherine High School’s Serena Douglas should also make this an exciting contest.

One of the biggest clashes at the meet is expected to be on today’s opening day as well, with the red hot Rickiann Russell of Holmwood Technical taking on the classy Oneika McAnnuf of Hydel in the Class One 400 metres.

Today will also see World Under-20 100-metre silver medallist, Serena Cole of Edwin Allen, in the Class One 100 sprint. Preliminary rounds and the final will be contested today.

SHORT SPRINT

Cole’s teammate, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, the Champs Class Three defending double sprint champion, will also feature today in the short sprint after recovering from a slight early-season injury.

On the programme today there will also be timed finals in 400-metre hurdles as well as finals in the 800 metres and the 4x100-metre relays.

In the field, the Class One discus final will be contested this morning with the outstanding Cedricka Williams of Holmwood Technical on show.

Among the boys, defending champions, St Jago, who have never lost at Central Championships, should continue their winning ways, but they will be wary of a reignited Edwin Allen team, which has shown vast improvement over the past two seasons. Edwin Allen’s charge will be led by World Under-20 400-metre finalist, Delano Kennedy, who will contest in Class One.