The build-up for next month’s ISSA Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) will continue today as three Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) development track and field meets take centre stage – two in the Corporate Area and one in central Jamaica.
The National Stadium will host its first meet of the season with the 27th staging of the Youngster Goldsmith Classics starting at 8:00 a.m. Also in the Corporate Area will be the Fervet Distance Carnival at Jamaica College beginning at 4:00 p.m., while Clarendon will host the JAAA/PUMA/Jamalco meet starting at 8:30 a.m.
All three meets are expected to be well supported as teams step up preparation for Champs. The Open Girls’ 400m hurdles will get things rolling inside the National Stadium and will feature a rematch in heat 3 between last year’s Champs top two finishers – winner Kelly-Ann Carr of Edwin Allen High and Natassia Fletcher of Hydel.
A high-quality field is also set for the Boys’ Class 1 event, featuring the outstanding Robert Miller of Hydel, who represented Calabar last year. Others in the line-up include last year’s Champs defending champion Kishawn Hoffman of Excelsior and his teammate Demarco Bennett, along with the Kingston College duo of Taj O’Neil Gordon and Jahvanie Tyrell.
All the sprint hurdles will be contested with preliminary rounds and finals in all classes. The 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 2000m steeplechase will also be on the track schedule.
Field events will include long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, triple jump, and pole vault, with the girls’ shot put and discus to be contested at Jamaica College.
At the Fervet Distance Carnival at Jamaica College, there will be 800m events in all classes for boys and girls, along with the girls’ 3000m, boys’ 5000m and 4x800m relays for both males and females.
The Michael McDonald Trophy for the top Class 1 male 400m athlete, the Neville Myton/Seymour Newman Trophy for Class 1 male 800m, and the Inez Turner Trophy for the Open female 800m will be at stake at the Jamalco meet. Cash prizes will also be awarded to winners of the 4x800m relays for both males and females.
Other events scheduled for the Jamalco meet include the 100m for Classes 2 and 3 males and females, Girls’ Open 3000m, Boys’ Open 5000m, 4x400m mixed relay, 4x100m primary school relays, male and female Para Olympic events, and long jump for male and female Open competitors in the field.
