Shanoya Douglas at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (© Athelstan Bellamy)
Kingston College and Hydel High School secured hard-fought victories at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which concluded on Saturday (29) after five days of action with more than 2500 athletes taking part.
It was Kingston College’s 36th title, and the victory was sweeter as it culminated in the school’s 100th anniversary. Hydel High won their second girls' title in their history.
The championships produced its fair share of drama, excitement and quality performances across all age group categories on the newly resurfaced track decorated in Jamaica’s national colours black, green and gold. As expected, several of the most anticipated showdowns occurred in the sprints.
After her impressive victories throughout the rounds, including revising her personal best to 11.12, Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High was literally racing against the clock. She duly wrapped up the 17-18 age group girls’ 100m final in fine style, clocking a world-leading PB of 11.08.
Dockery’s all-or-nothing approach almost denied her the sprint double in the cruellest way imaginable. Seeking to bury the demons of last year, when she suffered the indignity of a false start in the 200m, Dockery was shown the red card for the second consecutive year. However, a successful appeal saw her reinstated to the semifinals with a chance to advance via a time trial.
The Carifta Games champion qualified easily; however, in the final, she was relegated to second by the versatile Jody-Ann Daley of Hydel High, who stopped the clock at 23.53 (-2.3m/s) to Dockery’s 23.63. Less than two hours prior to the 200m final, Daley had won the 100m hurdles title in 13.40.
World U20 200m bronze medallist Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High did not have such jitters in the girls’ 15-16 category. She lived up to her favourite billing when she easily dispatched the field, winning the 100m in 11.32, before completing the sprint double by taking the 200m in 23.30 (-2.6m/s).
World U20 finalist Gary Card carved out a narrow victory in the boys’ 16-19 age group 100m final in 10.28. Card suffered some discomfort in his right leg after 85 metres but did enough to hold off the fast-finishing Tyreece Foreman (10.29) from St George’s College. The 17-year-old Card, who took no further part in the championship, had posted a lifetime best of 10.06 in the semifinals, just 0.07 off the championship record (9.99) held by Bouwahjgie Nkrumie.
In an epic boys’ 10-13 age group 100m final, Kai Kelly broke free at the start and accelerated to 10.60, holding off a spirited challenge from Jevaney Findlay (10.67), both athletes dipping under the previous championship record of 10.72. Findlay’s teammate Rajaun Romelly was third in 10.87.
After a year and a half spent on the sidelines due to injury, the Glen Mills coached Tajh-Marques White of Kingston College returned triumphantly to win the boys’ 16-19 400m title in a lifetime best of 45.84. White came off the top bend in fifth position before changing gears and motoring past the field, eclipsing his teammate and defending champion Marcinho Rose at the finish line. Rose clocked a lifetime best of 45.90.
Hydel teammates Abigail Campbell and Nastassia Fletcher secured 400m victories in the girls 15-16 and 17-18 age group categories, respectively. Campbell, who has never lost a 400m final at the national stadium, successfully defended her title with a season’s best of 53.03. 16-year-old Fletcher set a massive lifetime bests in the semifinals (53.08) and 52.82 in the final.
Hydel High’s Taiefa Gowe outlasted Sushana Johnson of Edwin Allen in a gruelling girls’ 2000m steeplechase in 6:52.82, chopping more than eight seconds off a championship record that had stood for 13 years.
Elsewhere, Calabar’s Kamari Kennedy was impressive in the boys’ 14-15 discus final, smashing the championship record with 61.46m.
Kingston College was outstanding in the sprint relays, winning the boys’ 16-19 4x100m in 39.78. The win by the seniors 15 minutes earlier motivated Kingston College’s 14-15 sprint relay team to a pulsating victory in 40.62.
In the girls’ 17-18 4x100m, Hydel edged Edwin Allen in a thriller, 44.55 to 44.62. Hydel High and Kingston College brought the curtains down with excellent wins in the 4x400m relays. Hydel covered the distance in 3:33.88, while Kingston College sealed the deal with Marcinho Rose on anchor, taking the team home in 3:07.46.
Noel Francis for World Athletics