Rusea’s High’s Aaliyah Francis targets 400m gold
Rusea’s High school’s aaliyah Francis, the prohibitive favourite to win the girls’ Class One 400m in today’s final day of the 110th staging of the Inter-secondary schools sports association (Issa)/ Gracekennedy Boys’ and Girls’ athletics Championships, knows she has to be on her ‘a’ game if she is to land the gold medal.
The COCAA Western Champs winner led the qualifiers in yesterday’s semi-final with an easy-looking 53.64 seconds and she she felt “very relaxed”.
Francis set tongues wagging a few weeks ago when she stormed to a big win at Western Champs, running 53.40 seconds on grass at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex, beating the field by at least 10 seconds.
Francis told the Jamaica Observer she was in her best form ever, and added she was not surprised by her time yesterday.
“I was not surprised that I ran that fast...i am looking to run faster in the final. I am looking for 52 seconds or even a 51 seconds, if all goes well,” she said.
Francis will not have things as easy as at the Western Champs as Vere Technical’s Annalee Robinson ran 53.79 seconds and the dangerous Daniella Deer of Holmwood, the Class Two winner in 2019, and Garriel White of Hydel, who was the runner-up, will be in the line-up as well.
Hydel’s Oneika Mcanuff, who won in Class Three in 2019, ran 54.91 seconds in qualifying yesterday, beaten only by Clarendon College’s Dejanea Oakley, who ran 53.68 seconds.
Rusea’s High’s Oneika Brissett ran 55.40 seconds, while Alliyah Baker of Hydel ran 55.77 seconds and Holmwood Technical’s Briana Henry also ran 55.83 seconds.
Ferncourt High’s Abigail Campbell leads the finalists for the Class Three 400m final after her 55.54 seconds run yesterday and is followed by Kitania Headley of St Catherine High (56.59 seconds), Rosalee Gallimore of Holmwood Technical, and Hydel’s Sasha-shunta Hemmings (56.60 seconds).