Edwin Allen, St Jago reign supreme at Central Champs
EDWIN ALLEN High School’s girls and St Jago High School’s boys ruled supreme at the Central Athletics Championships, which ended yesterday at the G.C. Foster College.
After losing by just half a point to Hydel High School a year ago, Edwin’s girls were ruthless over the two days, and at press time, they had amassed a whopping 384.25 points. Hydel, 254.25 ;St Jago, 245.50; Holmwood Technical, 197.50; and St Catherine High, 136.50, closed out the top five.
St Jago boys’ continued their dominance at these championships, having amassed 299 points. Edwin Allen, 202, Clarendon College, 151, St Catherine High, 69, and Holmwood Technical, 55, held the top five spots.
Like he did on Tuesday’s opening day, where he broke the Class 3 100 metres record twice, Marquies Page was the star at the meet for a second day. Competing in a massive headwind of 4.4 metres per second, he still managed to demolish his 2023 110-metre hurdles record to win in a new mark of 13.19 seconds. Teammate Raneil Burke, 14.04, and Old Harbour’s Javante Currie, 14.22s , were second and third, respectively.
Page was naturally delighted with his win and second record of the meet.
“I am not surprised about the win and record because I know I am in fantastic shape as I have been well prepared by my coaches. I can’t wait for ‘Champs’ as I am very positive I can go much faster,” said a confident Page, who will also defend his hurdle title at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships next month.
DOUBLE WINS
Edwin Allen’s Tonyan Beckford and Jounee Armstrong enjoyed double wins yesterday as well.
Beckford followed her Class 1 400-metre victory on the opening day with the Open Girls’ 400metre Hurdles. Beckford clocked 58.95 seconds to finish ahead of teammate Natasha Fox, 59.47, and Hydel’s Aaliyah Mullings, 1:02.80.
Armstrong, the former Immaculate Conception High sprinter, added the Class 1 200 Metres to her 100 victory yesterday, clocking 24.63 seconds to get the better of St Jago’s Kryshell Hoolong, 24.78, and St Catherine’s Kacian Johnson, 25.29.
Ferncourt’s Rihanna Scott followed up on her 100-metre success in Class 4 to win the 200 metres in 25.72 seconds, while Vere Technical’s Asharra Frater won the Open 3000 metres in 17 minutes, 12.58 seconds to add to her Class 2 1500-metre title.
Among the boys, St Jago’s Daniel Pennant joined Page on the list of double winners, winning the Open 2000m Steeplechase on Tuesday and the Open 5000 metres yesterday.