‘I’m in my best shape’

JAMAICA COLLEGE middle-distance team leader Kemarrio Bygrave is the reigning ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships Class 1 800-metre champion and if his display at last Saturday’s JC Invitational is anything to go by, he will be a tough nut to crack this year.

Running in front of an attentive audience at Ashenheim Stadium, he circled the track twice in 1 minute, 55.43 seconds.

Across the six heats, the second-fastest time was 1.58.80 by Bygrave’s JC teammate Nellie Ambritron.

Happily, he has recovered from the malady that laid him low at the Carifta Games in the Bahamas. As is often the case when those Games arrive the very week after Boys and Girls’ Championships, the Jamaica team suffers from colds and flu. Bygrave’s issue then was described as a respiratory problem.

“I’m pretty good actually. I’m in my best shape, best health, being taken care of very well,” he said cheerfully.

He had gone to the Bahamas with the fastest time in the field – 1:50.20 minutes.

Surprisingly, the JC sixth-former wasn’t happy with Saturday’s race as there was a bit of a delay.

I’M HAPPY

“Still have to take it at the end of the day, I’m happy that I got to finish injury-free, you know. That’s the best part,” he resolved.

At JC, he covered the first lap in 54.3 seconds to take command.

Speedy enough to have reached the 2022 Class 1 400 final and to have anchored JC to Champs glory in the 4x400 last year, Bygrave plans a long career in the sport.

Asked about the future, he replied, “I want to continue my career path in track and field, seeing how much it has done for me and how far it has brought me. I’d just like to bring back and help the sporting industry and become better.”

Asked where he planned to attend college, he simply replied, “You will see.”

The girls’ Class 1 800 went to Rickeisha Simms, the slim Edwin Allen High School champion, in 2 minutes, 13.49 seconds. She had to hustle to keep Carlene Temple of Alphansus Davis High, 2:14.65, at bay.

The 2021 Class 1 double winner said afterwards, “it was a bit challenging because I know I’ve got to go out there and carry the pace and run under control.”

The effort wasn’t far off the meet record – 2.13.33 by Kishay Rowe of Alphanus Davis last year.

Like Bygrave, the Alexandria native wants to go faster in her final year representing her school at Champs.

“My target is to run a PB and medal in both my events,” Simms submitted.

Fourth in both the Class 1 800 and 1,500 last year, her personal bests are 2:08.18 and 4:32.25.