KC’s Rose finds form
Kingston College’s (KC) Marcinho Rose has sent a strong signal to his rivals heading into the ISSA/ GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs), as he produced 46.36 seconds to capture the Under-20 boys’ 400 metres at the Carifta Trials over the weekend at the National Stadium.
It was a big personal best for Rose, who, like KC, is finding form with two weeks before Champs after a slow start to their track and field season. KC are the defending boys’ champions.
A fourth-place finisher in the Class One boys’ 200 metres at Champs last year, when he clocked 21.90 seconds, competing in a negative wind of 2.7 metres per second, Rose is the fastest over the one-lap event, after surpassing previous leader, teammate Amal Glasgow’s 46.93 seconds as both are the only athletes in the class under the 47-second barrier.
Rose, whose personal best was 48.08 seconds, showed signs of improvement in the preliminary round of the event on Friday’s opening day of the meet after clocking 47.65 seconds to win his heat, to be the secondfastest qualifier, behind Maggotty High School’s Zachary Wallace, who did 47.59.
In the final, he got the better of second-placed Javaughn Pinnock of New Era Track Club, who clocked 46.84 seconds, with Wallace third in 47.44.
Rose is very pleased about his performance ahead of Champs.
“I am proud of my achievement, and honestly, it is a good feeling to know that I won the event and produced a personal best,” he said.
He praised coach Richard Smith, who is in charge of the quarter-milers in the programme.
“I have been putting in the hard work under coach Smith– the best. I had some ups and downs earlier in the season, but with his guidance and motivation, it is paying off big time, and this has given me a lot of confidence going into Champs,” said Rose.
Rose, who has been a part of the outstanding KC 4x400 metres relay teams for the past two seasons and anchored them to victory at the recent Gibson/ McCook Relays, is confident they will retain the Mortimer Geddes title.
“The team is gelling at the right time, and we are ready to defend our title at Champs. For me, I can go much faster. Watch out,” he warned.