The GraceKennedy ISSA Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) is just over six weeks away, and last Saturday at the Youngster Goldsmith Classics inside the National Stadium and at the Fervet Distance Carnival at the Ashenheim Stadium, leading contending teams for the male and female titles showed good early form.
With Kingston College (KC), Calabar and Jamaica College among the boys sharing the spoils on the track, and Hydel and Edwin Allen on the female side both looking in top form, fans are in store for an intriguing Champs. It could very well come down to the field events to decide the two winners next month.
In a very strategic move, the organising committee of the Youngster Goldsmith Classics allowed female field events to be contested at Jamaica College (JC), ensuring athletes in both sexes received their maximum attempts in the different disciplines. The move paid off with several outstanding performances.
Immaculate Conception’s Zoelle Jamal led the way among the females with a meet-record throw of 40.99 metres to win the Girls’ Open Javelin, getting the better of Shamanda Donna Marie Wilmot of Holmwood Technical with 39.81m and Laquay Harrison of UTech with 37.86m.
Wilmot improved on her second-place finish in the javelin to win the Girls’ Class 2 shot put with a heave of 13.63 metres, as the Edwin Allen duo of Shandre Brown (11.96m) and Fabriana Perry (11.59m) finished second and third.
St Elizabeth Technical High School’s Davieka Lewis produced a personal-best effort of 46.16 metres to win the Class 2 discus, with Brown of Edwin Allen second with 42.77m and Brandane Malcolm of Hydel third with 42.02m.
Xiah Tobias of Vere Technical ruled supreme in the Girls’ Class 2 long jump with a winning distance of 5.67m, as Rajuan Price of Alpha Academy was second with 5.57m and Tiana Peart of Holmwood, third with 5.03m.
It was also success for Vere in the Girls’ Open Triple Jump as Martina Moxan won with 11.75m, ahead of Jaedan Robinson of Immaculate with 11.39m and Kevona Peterkin of William Knibb with 11.38m.
Seana Wilson of Alpha took the Class 3 long jump with a distance of 5.26 metres, while Sukhuri Shay-Smith of Immaculate won Class 4 with 5.13m.
Michael Jordan Neil of Jamaica College led the way among the males after soaring to a winning height of 2.00 metres to equal his personal best in the Open high jump. Tejahni Haynes of Kingston College finished second with 1.95m, the same height cleared by Munro College’s Ainsworth Ferguson in finishing third.
In the Class 2 high jump, Nikaro Johnson of KC won with 1.95m to equal his personal best, getting the better of Leandrae Thomas of Herbert Morrison with 1.85m, while teammate Sheshan Hurd was third, also with 1.85m.
Joel Patrickson of KC was first in Class 3 after clearing the bar at 1.75m, ahead of teammate Jaydon Bailey with 1.65m and Daveon Brown of JC with 1.55m.
KC were also victorious in the pit in the Boys’ Class 1 triple jump through Amari Phillips with a distance of 15.03m, getting the better of Kabika Thomas of Wolmer’s Boys’ School with 14.67m and Kemar Jones of St Jago with 14.05m.
Winaldo Faulkner of St Jago captured the Class 2 triple jump with 14.83m, ahead of the KC duo of Alex King with 14.57m and Demario Clarke with 14.16m.
Antwane Miller of JC won the Class 2 long jump with 5.96m, ahead of Joel Peterkin of KC with 5.84m and Malique Brown of JC in third.
In the throwing events, Edwin Allen’s Addison James led the way with a winning mark of 62.27 metres in the Boys’ Open javelin throw. Tarique Daley of Calabar (53.39m) and Kimani Smith of KC (48.53m) finished second and third, respectively.
KC’s Daijon Budhai captured the Class 1 discus with a massive 62.13-metre personal best, finishing ahead of Kamari Kennedy of Calabar with 58.72m and Dylan Logan of KC with 56.00m.
Javantae Smith of Munro continued his good form this season in the Boys’ Class 1 shot put with a winning effort of 18.24 metres, relegating the Calabar pair of Khaleel Henry (16.70m) and Khaleel Cornwall (16.77m) to the minor placings.
