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Top local high school stars on show at today’s Puma East Coast meet

Published:Saturday | May 6, 2023 | 1:23 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
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From left: Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association President Keith Wellington, meets sponsor and owner of the Blue Ridge Restaurant David Jones, Juliet Campbell of Puma, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association President Garth Gayle, and Sanjay Ayre
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From left: Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association President Keith Wellington, meets sponsor and owner of the Blue Ridge Restaurant David Jones, Juliet Campbell of Puma, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association President Garth Gayle, and Sanjay Ayre meet organiser at a banquet in Maryland last night ahead of today’s East Coast International Showcase. The banquet was held at the Copper Canyon Restaurant in Glenarden, Maryland.
Hydel High’s Alana Reid.
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Hydel High’s Alana Reid.
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BALTIMORE, Maryland:

WITH GREAT weather expected, some of the Jamaica’s top high school stars should produce big performances when they compete against the best of their age group in the United States at today’s Puma East Coast International meet.

The meet will take place at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland .

Meet organiser Sanjay Ayre has invited some of the leading juniors on the World Athletics top list.

“We expect some great competition today as most of the events will see the best out of the United States going up against the best from Jamaica. We have six of the top ranked athletes in their events competing at the meet,” Ayre said.

At 12:30 p.m. national junior record-holder Alana Reid of Hydel High, with a best of 10.92 seconds, will go head to head with World number two Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Island whose best is 11.11. Both were scheduled to clash at the Carifta Games in The Bahamas, but a late injury forced Hodge to miss the event. Reid’s Hydel teammates Shemonique Hazle and Aaliyah Baker, along with St Elizabeth Technical’s (STETHS) Dayjhuna Campbell and Petersfield High’s Alexis James are also down to contest the event.

Reid is very confident ahead of the clash.

“I am still in excellent shape and I have the right mindset going into the event and I hope to continue winning,” she said at a training session two days ago.

The expected 400-m clash between Hydel’s Oneika McAnnuff and Holmwood Technical’s Rickianna Russell is off. McAnnuff will run in the 200m final.

In the 400m, Russell, the top junior in the world with a best of 51.26 seconds, will face Hydel’s Abigail Campbell and Natassia Fletcher, Holmwood’s Rosealee Gallimore and Jada Pearson of Petersfield.

In the boys 400-m set for 2:15 p.m. the ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) Class One winner Delano Kennedy of Edwin Allen and Jasuana Dennis of STETHS, the Carifta Games Under 20 champion, will battle rising star Quincy Wilson representing Bullis High of Maryland.

Kennedy won the Class One 400m in 45.27 with Dennis third in 45.77 and the Edwin Allen star is confident of avenging his defeat at the Carifta Games.

“When I lost at Carifta I got out too slow in the early part of the race, but now I have fixed that and I am determined to make up for that defeat,” said Kennedy. Wilson could upstage the Jamaicans here following his relay split of 45.06 seconds for his team at the Penn Relays.

The boys’ 100m and 200m should have thrilling finishes. Bryan Levell of Edwin Allen and his teammate Antonio Powell, Adrian Kerr of Kingston College, Malik Carridice and Javorne Dunkley of STETHS will battle Brody Buffington, Issam Asinga, Wilson and Zaïre Nuriddin of the United States.

Assinga recently broke Noah Lyles’ high school record of 20.09 seconds in the 200m at Texas Tech where he ran 19.97 seconds while Buffington has gone 10.29 and 20.71 seconds over the 100m and 200m respectively this season.

Kerr and Levell who did not compete at Champs due to injuries will be determined to show their class in the 100-m. Levell competed for his school at the Penn Relays in the 4x100m. Kerr showed tremendous form at the recent Velocity Fest 13 meet where he produced a personal best of 10.22 in the preliminary round of the men’s 100m before returning to clock 10.26 in the final.