Jackson on track today at G.C. Foster

The G.C. Foster College will take centre stage as local track and field season continues today with the staging of three development meets.

Several of the country’s top female and male sprinters, led by World 200 metres champion Shericka Jackson of the MVP Track Club, will be in action at the 41st staging of the Puma/JAAA/Fuller/Anderson meet. The other two meets are the Douglas Forrest Invitational at the Stadium East and the Manchester High/Charlie Fuller Field Events meet at the school’s playing field. All three meets are set to start at 9 a.m.

At G.C. Foster, Jackson will contest the 60m. Her teammates Serena Cole, Natasha Morrison, Jonielle Smith, Anthonique Strachan and Amoi Brown, along with SprinTec duo of Remona Burchell and Jodean Williams, will also contest the 60m.

Kishane Thompson, Rohan Watson, Tajay Gayle and Rusheen McDonald of MVP will contest the men’s 60m. Michael Sharpe, Odaine McPherson and Jevaughn Whyte of G.C. Foster will also face the start in the event.

The flat 60m and the 60m hurdles have been included at the meet for the first time as the athletes get a chance to test themselves before the World Indoor Championships slated for Glasgow, March 1-3. The 60m will get under way at 11 a.m with the 60m hurdles set to start half- hour later.

After a great season opener at the Ashenheim Stadium, Jamaica College, last week, the red-hot Thieanna-Lee Terrelonge will lead Edwin Allen High’s charge at G.C. Foster where female teams from St Jago High and Holmwood Technical will make their season debuts.

At the Pure Water/JC/R. Danny Williams meet, Terrelonge clocked a blistering personal best 11.30 over 100m and will contest the Class Two 200m today.

Another Edwin Allen athlete, Kerelle Etienne out of Dominica who made a successful high school debut in Jamaica when winning the Class Three 100m in a record 11.70 at JC, will run the 200m today.

Ferncourt High Rhianna Scott, who caught the eye with a record 12.19 run in the Class Four 100m at JC, will also attack the half-lap event today.

Kingston College, the defending ISSA boys’ champions, had a quiet start to their season last Saturday but will be out in larger numbers today and they will be led by their powerful middle- and long-distance group which includes Africans Ethan Gioko, Brian Kiprop, Nahashan Ruto, Chris Wonoike and Stephen Wongari.

Other track events on the day for high school athletes include 400m, 1500m and women’s 3000m. Long jump will be held for the first time at the meet with competition in all classes for males and females.

Following a good start to their season last Saturday, ISSA girls’ champions Hydel High will be resting this weekend along with JC who dominated their home meet last week.

Edwin Allen will also be in attendance at the Douglas Forrest Invitational meet where they will be joined by Vere Technical, Wolmer’s Girls, Excelsior High, Camperdown High and Mt Alvernia High.

Events down to be contested at the Douglas Forrest meet are 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 4x400m relays, high jump, long jump and shot put.