Hurdlers hot at Champs
THIS YEAR’S 107th ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships began with a real bang yesterday with the girls posting three record runs.
In one event, the Class Two 100 metres hurdles, the record went twice.
The first record of the day came in the Class Two girls 100m hurdles.
Running in heat one Vere Technical’s Britany Anderson eased to a smooth 13.37, onehundredth of a second better than the old mark held by Peta Gaye Williams of Camperdown.
MARKED IMPROVEMENT
Before the applause had died down Shannette Allison of Holmwood Technical stormed to 13.30 seconds in her heat, followed by Winsome Harris STETHS 13.84 and Aaliyah Wood Edwin Allen 13.92 seconds.
Despite qualifying for Friday’s semi-final in a comfortable 13.65 seconds win, defending champion Daszay Freeman of Manchester High will have to show marked improvement to retain her title.
Kimeone McLeod of St Jago High (13.73) Antonette Black Edwin Allen (13.92) were two of the other leading qualifiers for the semi-finals.
Young St Jago High sprinting sensation, Brianna Lyston,
obliterated the Class Four girls 200m record with a scintillating 24.00 seconds clocking, later.
She improved on the 24.21 set by school-mate Joanne Reid in 2015.
The 12-year-old Lyston who had a best of 24.50 coming
into the meet, is now confident of gold and going below 24 seconds.
“I just ran the curve fast and kind of went easy off the straight. I think I can go much faster, I am looking for 23.80 seconds. My coach told me to go out and make the semi-finals
and I plan to run hard in every race,”” she told The Gleaner.
Meanwhile, Edwin Allen High’s standout sprinter, Kevona Davis, opened the Class Three 200m heats with a good 23.77 run, ahead of Atena Rayson (25.27) of Herbert Morrison and Tahira
Morris (25.45) of Montego Bay High.
The other leading qualifiers to tomorrow’s semi-finals are Joanne Reid of St Jago (24.05), Gabrielle Matthews of Hydel (24.47) and Holmwood’s Sashieka Steele (24.57). Britany Anderson of Vere Technical, running in the first heat of the girls Class Two 100m hurdles, sprints to a Champs record of 13.37 seconds. However, in the next heat, Shanette Allison of Holmwood Technical broke that record to win in 13.30 seconds.