Wolmer’s hopeful for jumps this season

Wolmer’s has been doing well this athletics season. Each time the oldest school in the Caribbean had athletes in a top three, it was in a jumping event.

Orville Brown, who has been responsible for jumps in the boys team since last year, believes jumps are Wolmer’s strength.

“The school has a long strong tradition in jumping,” he said. “I’ve been involved in the sports for probably the last 30 years, and back to when I was an athlete myself, Wolmer’s has always had good jumps programmes.”

He is optimistic and thinks improvements will be made this season.

“I’m just trying to find a way to get them back to close to the glory, if not even better,” he said.

For this purpose, he can count on some promising athletes.

“There are couple of boys who never had a medal at Champs and they are making a lot of improvement so far,” he said.

ALMOST ASTOUNDED

Edward Sterling, who just turned 13, is one of them.

“I am almost astounded with what he has been able to deliver so far in training,” Brown said. “He has been improving rapidly in both high and long jumps. And he’s also an accomplished sprinter.”

Hence, Brown doesn’t know as yet which event the Class Three boy will be doing at Champs, at the National Stadium from March 24 to 28.

Sterling set a personal best in the long jump with a performance of 5.78m and came second after Jamaica College’s Euan Young (5.79m). Sterling explained that he qualified for Champs in the 200m, 400m, high jump and long jump and doesn’t know yet which to compete in.

“My favourite event is the high jump, but seeing I’m doing so well in long jump so early in the season, I might have to substitute high jump for long jump,” Sterling said.

His multiple talents could make him consider doing decathlon one day, like former Wolmerian David Edmendson, who was “a real mentor” to him, but Sterling said he isn’t interested in combined events. “Overall, I just want to do two or three events,” he said.