It was billed as a clash between Hydel’s Brianna Lyston and the Clayton twins, Tia and Tina over 100m on Day 2 of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston and it lived up to expectations except for the fact that the hot favourite did not win.
Lyston, who came into the championships with a personal best 11.14 set at Central Champs last month, enhanced her tag as the favourite when she ran an easy 11.28 into a headwind of -1.6m/s. However, in the final, Lyston, who was sandwiched between the Claytons; Tia in lane four and Tina in lane six, got off to a good start but was unable to shake Tina, the World U20 champion, who then briefly relinquished the lead before fighting back to edge Lyston at the line.
With a headwind of -2.8m/s, Tina clocked 11.23 to Lyston’s 11.26. Tia was third in 11.47.
The fastest girls' race of the night happened in the Class II final where Hydel’s Kerrica Hill ran a fast 11.16 to equal Kevona Davis’ record and hold off her fast-finishing teammate Alana Reid who clocked a personal best of 11.22 for the silver medal.
Mount Alvernia’s Carleta Bernard was third in 11.44.
Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge recovered from a poor start to win the Class III sprint in 11.60 over St Jago’s Camoy Binger (11.73) and Shemonique Hazle of Hydel (11.75) while Wolmer’s Girls’ Natrece East copped the Class IV title in 11.81 ahead of Edwin Allen’s Moesha Gayle (12.03 and Excelsior High School’s Janella Williams 12.10.
Edwin Allen’s Bryan Levell was the favourite to win the Class I Boys’ 100m title and he delivered on his promise but only just.
In the race in which Kingston College’s medal contender Bouwahjgie Nkrumie stumbled at the start and almost fell, Levell maintained his composure to go on to win in 10.23 over Jeevan Newby of Kingston College (10.23) and Herbert Morrison’s De Andre Daley 10.33.
Nkrumie was sixth in 10.49.
The Class II race was an even closer affair as the pre-race favourite, Mark Anthony Miller of Jamaica College clocked 10.76 for the win, the same time as Wolmer’s Boys’ Gary Card. Jason Lewis of Edwin Allen won the bronze medal after finishing third in 10.84.
Herbert Morrison’s Tavaine Stewart was lost for words after he ran a personal best of 11.03 to win the Class III Boys 100m. He managed to edge Calabar High’s Nickecoy Bramwell (11.06) at the line. Ferncourt High School’s Ajae Brown (11.34) took the bronze.
Edwin Allen’s plans to sweep all classes in the 1500m were dashed when Jodyann Mitchell of Holmwood Technical took advantage of a mishap that affected the race leader Rushana Dwyer took take gold in 4:36.39.
Shone Walters of St Mary High ran 4:37.05 for the silver medal while Dwyer’s teammate Jessica McLean was third in 4:37.06. Dwyer finished fifth in 4:42.30.
However, the defending champions won gold in the Class II event as Rickeisha Simms ran away from the field to clock 4:41.85 over St Jago High School’s Misha-Jade Samuels, who clocked 4:47.45 to claim the silver medal. Finishing third was Cindy Rose of Holmwood Technical, who ran 4:47.86.
Kora Barnett of Edwin Allen took the gold medal in 4:44.30 over the Holmwood Technical pair of Andrene Peart of Holmwood Technical (4:45.30) and Jovi Rose (4:50.09).
Meanwhile, defending Boys’ champions Jamaica College enjoyed a 1-2 finish in the Class I 1500m in which Jvoughnn Blake took the gold in 3:56.78 over Handal Roban (3:57.09). Giovouni Henry of Kingston College was third in 4:01.51.
Yoshane Bowen of Maggotty High won the gold medal in the Class II 800m in 4:12.70 ahead of Brian Kiprop of Kingston College (4:13.94) and Gage Buggam of St. Elizabeth Technical (4:13.99).
Earlier in the day, Balvin Israel of St. Jago High School won the first gold medal of the 2022 championships with a leap of 7.33m. Mark Phillips of Wolmer’s Boys took the silver medal with a jump of 7.02m while Ricoy Hunter of St Elizabeth Technical finished third with 6.90m.
Camperdown High School’s Victoria Christie win the Class II Girls Shot Put with a mark of 14.59m. Nastassia Burrell of Hydel threw 13.99m to win the silver medal and Maja Henry of Immaculate Conception won bronze with 13.51m.
Kingston College’s Jaydon Hibbert won the long jump with an excellent effort of 7.87m. Uroy Ryan of Jamaica College won the silver medal with 7.75m while Demario Price of St Jago took the bronze with a jump of 7.28m.
Meanwhile, in the Class I Girls discus, St Jago High School’s Jamora Alves battled hard to take the gold medal with her best effort of 48.13, just four cm ahead of Damali Williams of Edwin Allen (48.09) and Britannie Johnson of Camperdown (46.54).
At the end of action on Wednesday, Edwin Allen leads the girls’ standings with 76 points after nine finals with Hydel close behind on 54 points. St Jago (48), Holmwood (35) and Immaculate Conception (24) make up the top five schools.
Title favourites Kingston College leads the boys’ standings with 68 points after eight finals. Defending champion Jamaica College are second with 51 points while St Jago High (28), St Elizabeth Technical (23) and Wolmer’s Boys (18) complete the top five.