Bygrave tuning up for big races ahead

To hear Jamaica College (JC) senior Kemarrio Bygrave tell the tale, his running at last Saturday’s Central Hurdles and Relays meet at the GC Foster College was part of a training exercise. By the time most fans arrived at Angels, they saw him reach a new level in the 400m. Hours earlier, the defending Boys and Girls’ Championships Class One 800m champion put forth a strong effort over twice that distance.

With JC middle-distance coach Duane Johnson working to release Bygrave’s best in his last season as a schoolboy, the school’s middle-distance troops were spread across three teams in the 4x800m. Edwin Allen High led until the anchor leg, with JC’s top -end quality telling at the end. First, Rasheed Pryce pulled JC ‘B’ to the win with a one minute 1.56.6 seconds anchor, with Bygrave hurrying from much farther back and covering the ground in a time reported to be under 1.54.

The times were 7.57.75 for JC ‘B’ and 7.59.70 for JC ‘A’.

With the nicely expanded GC Foster stands rocking and rolling, Bygrave took off in the Class One 400m and staved off an attack from St Jago High School sprinter Raheem Pinnock. The two boys scored personal best times, 47.54 for Bygrave and 47.76 for Pinnock.

The result was a reminder that Bygrave reached the Boys and Girls’ Championships Class One 400m final in 2022.

“I’m way faster now compared to two years ago when I was running like 48 flat, 48.1,” he assessed.

When coach Johnson had J’Voughnn Blake and Vincentian Handal Robban at JC, both did 4x400m duty, with Blake churning out sub-48 splits, and Robban clocked a 47.50 personal best in the flat event. Their speed helped them dominate the 800m and 1500m.

Reminded of his admired predecessors, Bygrave replied: “I just realised, to be honest, you know. Today I was just trying to work out the first part of my 800m, and it went pretty well. So it’s just to go back to the drawing board and correct the second half.”

It was another sign that he has recovered from the respiratory trouble that laid him low at the 2023 Carifta Games. Speaking on January 6 after a solid season opener at the JC Invitational - 1:55.43, he explained: “I’m pretty good actually. I’m in my best shape, best health, being taken care of very well.”

Bygrave doesn’t turn 19 until this May, and he and coach Johnson could well be planning for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, which will take place in late August.