FRASER-PRYCE...nobody owes you anything and nothing is put down out there for you either.
If ever reigning champions Hydel and former champions Calabar required additional motivation ahead of the 113th ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, they would have received it from multiple World and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
The iconic sprinter, a Digicel ambassador, who has long been an inspiration to athletes both locally and internationally, visited the Corey Bennett-coached teams training session recently to deliver some last-minute encouragement.
Fraser-Pryce, affectionately known as the "Pocket Rocket" for her explosive speed on the track, urged the athletes to give of their best, but also to remain humble and focused in the process.
“Everybody knows its Champs; people are even flying down for it. People bring their A game at Champs, you know this. Some of you have been there before, some of you are already champions and have been champions more than once and you are trying to do it again, but don’t let the moment of the occasion get to you,” the decorated Fraser-Pryce shared.
“Remember also that nobody owes you anything and nothing is put down out there for you either, so you have to work hard,” she added to the acknowledgement of the young athletes.
After playing bridesmaid for several years, Hydel inevitably claimed the girls crown when they dethroned many-time champions Edwin Allen by two-points in a nail-biting battle last year, and they will be aiming to put up another fight on this occasion.
Calabar, also under Bennett’s guidance, faltered to third behind Kingston College and Jamaica College last year. Though going through a rebuilding phase, the perennial challengers, should still produce some exciting performances, especially after Fraser-Pryce’s charge.
Beyond that, Fraser-Pryce also went down memory lane, as she posted a photo of her alongside her statue at the National Stadium.
“Not bad for an athlete that won her first and only individual gold medal in the 100m in Class 2 at Champs in 2004," the caption read.
KC wins third straight Championship of America 4x400m title at Penn Relays; JC wins 4x800m
Kingston College made it three Championship of America 4x400m titles in a row with a comfortable win in the event on the third and final day of the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Antonio Forbes, Amal Glasgow, Roshawn Lee and Marcinho Rose combined to run 3:11.86 to win ahead of Excelsior (3:12.94) and Bullis School (3:13.10).
Elsewhere, Jamaica College won their second Championship of America 4x800m relay in three years.
Their team of Nellie Amberton, Samuel Creary, Rasheed Pryce and Kemarrio Bygrave produced a time of 7:42.37 to win ahead of St. John’s College (7:44.66) and Central Bucks West (7:45.99).
Excelsior leads Jamaican 1-2-3 in Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m at Penn Relays
Excelsior High emerged victorious in the Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m on the third and final day at the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Ryeem Walker, Damor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green combined to run 40.45 to secure the school’s first win in the event since 1967.
Kingston College (Daniel Clarke, Yourie Lawrence-Clarke, Nyrone Wade, Marcinho Rose) were second in 40.53 and Herbert Morrison (Ky-Mani Hemmings, Tavaine Stewart, Chance Segree, De Andre Daley) completed a Jamaican 1-2-3 with 40.56 in third.
Smith produces season’s best to win long jump at Texas Invitational
Texas junior Ackelia Smith produced an NCAA leading performance to take top spot on day one of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday.
The 22-year-old reigning NCAA champion produced a season’s best 7.10m, her first jump over 7m this season, to win ahead of Trinidadian Puma athlete Tyra Gittens (6.72m) and UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6.65m).
This is a welcome return to form for Smith who suffered a torn hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.
Smith was Jamaica’s national champion in the long jump in 2022 and was a finalist in both the long and triple jump at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
