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.

With the departure of Andre Russell to the Trinbago Knight Riders for the coming Hero CPL season, Jamaica Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller believes Fabian Allen is more than capable of filling in for the mercurial all-rounder.

Hero CPL announced earlier this week that TKR had signed both Russell and Nicholas Pooran for the 2022 season of the CPL that is set to run from August 30 to September 30, 2022. The two-time winners, Tallawahs signed Allen and compatriot Brandon King, who represented St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors, respectively last season.

Miller, speaking with Sportsmax.TV Monday night, said while the news might have come as a shock to many, Russell’s departure was something that the Jamaica Tallawahs expected.

 “Russell, last year, made a statement that it was his last year, so I don’t think it’s shocking to us,” Miller said. “But look, he has been a gentleman. He called and said the reasons why, and this is franchise cricket, it’s a business, and as a business players have to look for out for the best for themselves and their families, so I wish Russell all the best and hopefully, we will see him back sometime in the future.”

That said, Miller addressed the king-sized hole Russell leaves behind in the Tallawahs line-up saying that fellow Jamaican, Allen, is more than capable of stepping up.

“I think Fabian Allen brings a whole lot to the dynamics of the franchise. He is a very dynamic player, fielder, bowler; he always has a good CPL and I am looking that Fabian will step in and fill that position that Russell left as a leading all-rounder and I think he is ready and he really wants to excel and we are giving him an opportunity to express himself in a big way.”

Miller explained that the Jamaica Tallawahs have also signed a number of international players that he expects will come in and bolster the team that only won four of its 10 games last season and failed to make the playoffs.

“I think when you see the combination of what we have in combination with the international players that we have signed that you will see that the Tallawahs will have a very competitive year.”

The names of the international players will be released by Hero CPL in the near future.

The stars were on show on the first day of the 2022 ISSA Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

The marquee event, the 100m, saw all the big names safely make it through to the semi-finals which are scheduled to start at 3:30pm on Wednesday.

In the Class I Boys event, the Kingston College pair of Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (10.53) and Jeevan Newbie (10.55) were the fastest qualifiers to the semi-finals.

Edwin Allen’s Bryan Levell (10.73), St. Catherine’s Sandrey Davison (10.73) and Herbert Morrison’s Carifta Trials Under-20 100m champion DeAndre Daley (11.00) all got through their heats safely as well.

In Class II, Spot Valley’s Romario Hines (10.90), KC’s Aaron Thomas (10.90), Steer Town’s Omarion Barrett (10.93) and St. Jago’s Kawayne Kelly (11.01) were the fastest men in the heats. The JC pair of Mark Anthony Miller (11.53) and Dontae Watson (11.21) as well as KC’s Marvin Patterson (11.04) all safely got through to the semis.

Johan-Ramaldo Smythe of Muschett High (11.47) and Nickecoy Bramwell of Calabar (11.52) were the fastest in the Class III heats.

On the Girls side, Hydel’s Briana Lyston (12.01), Edwin Allen’s Tina Clayton (12.03) and her sister Tia Clayton (12.24) all progressed safely to the semi-finals in Class I but it was Petersfield’s Alexis James who qualified fastest with an impressive 11.72.

The Hydel pair of Alana Reid (12.04) and Kerrica Hill (12.31) got through comfortable in Class II while Edwin Allen’s Theianna Lee-Terrelonge (12.25) and Holmwood’s Abrina Wright (12.41) were the fastest to progress in Class III.

In Class IV, Natrece East of Wolmer’s (12.61) and Kimberly Wright of Immaculate (12.91) were the fastest qualifiers while pre-meet favourite Kedoya Lindo of Immaculate also safely got through with a 13.01 clocking.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honorable Olivia Grange, has welcomed the return to ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships with spectators.

“In 2021, even though CHAMPS was staged, it was done behind closed doors.  This resulted in losses of $70,000,000.00.  For this year, ISSA projects that their earnings will return to pre-COVID figures despite the significant increase in inflation,” said Minister Grange in a statement issued on Monday.

She also explained how Jamaica derives significant economic benefit from what is the premier secondary school athletic championship in the world.  

“Because of the long and distinguished legacy of CHAMPS, there is a consistent increase in visitor arrival to Jamaica during the period leading up to the mega event.  While the support from high school alumni and Jamaicans in the diaspora who invest in and return to Jamaica for Champs is unquantified at this time, there is a marked stimulation in the economy which can be attributed to CHAMPS,” said Minister Grange.

“The city of Kingston, for example, benefits from an increase in occupancy of hotels, guesthouses, AIR BnB type facilities and private homes.  This is also reflected in the local retail and transportation sectors. Through CHAMPS, there is both a direct and indirect co-relation to educational and employment opportunities. We also see a lot of merchandising from the schools; there’s the broadcasting revenue, there are stage, light and sound, there are opportunities for the small peanut vendors as well,” she added.

The 2022 edition of Champs gets underway Tuesday and runs until April 9 at the National stadium.

“Welcome back CHAMPS; welcome back spectators. Let the Games begin,” said Minister Grange.

ISSA Boys and Girls Championships pundit Hubert Lawrence believes that Kingston College and Edwin Allen are favourites to win the Boys and Girls titles, respectively, as the competition get underway at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

“It looks to me as if the boys' side could be quite close. Both KC, the 2019 champions, and JC, the 2021 champions, are quite strong,” Lawrence said.

“Early in the season, it looked as if JC was not as significantly strong as KC in Class III, but each week I saw the JC Class III look better and better and it may be that on balance now, the two teams are quite strong. I don’t think there’s a walkover even though, in general, KC might look a little bit ahead,” he added.

Lawrence also expressed where the main strengths of both teams are.

“Where KC is brilliantly strong is in hurdles across the classes while JC is brilliantly strong in the 800, 1500 area across all the classes. It may be that those strengths and balances cancel out and in the 800s and 1500s, there is an extra race than the hurdles because there is no Class III 400m Hurdles but there’s Class III 800m and 1500m,” he said.

On the Girls' side, Lawrence believes that despite the fact that Hydel looked good all season, Edwin Allen is still the team to beat.

“Girls Champs will be quite competitive as well. Edwin Allen is coming on every week. They’ve had a late start to training and rain in the hills in Frankfield but they look to be coming on each week and I would have to say they’re the favourites to defend their title,” he said.

“Who’s coming at them? Hydel. One of the remarkable things about coach Cory Bennett is his ability to hide a great side in plain view. So, you might go and score them 10 points but they’re really worth 17. St. Jago is also like that this year but coach Michael Dyke at Edwin Allen is a master at getting his teams to peak at the right time so that is up in the air but I say Edwin Allen would go in feeling in a stronger position than KC on the Boys' side,” he added.

Switching gears from teams to individuals, who, apart from the obvious candidates, does Lawrence have his eyes on to do big things at Champs?

“I’d go Alexis James from Petersfield in the Girls Class I sprint hurdles. Because Class I has a glittering 100m and 200m compliment of athletes like the Clayton twins and Briana Lyston, not many people are looking at the sprint hurdles," he said.

"James won at Carifta trials and in that race too, Oneika Wilson of Hydel got to the World Junior final but couldn’t run because of COVID protocols. Both of them are not far away from the Champs record of 13.12 so I think that’s an event we have to look at. We’re very sprint focused but I think the sprint hurdles with Megan Tapper getting the bronze in Tokyo, with us having two world champions in that event in Danielle Williams and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, that’s an event now at the Class I level that might just move forward,” he said.

“On the Boys' side, one athlete that we might not watch too much because we’re sort of track-focused is Christopher Young of Edwin Allen, former Class II discus champion. He’s been fantastic in the shot put, discus and javelin. I think his teammate, Trevor Gunzel, is just as good as he is in the shot as well as World Under-20 finalist Kobe Lawrence of Calabar so he won’t have it easy,” he said.

Tuesday, April 5 will mark the start of the 112^th edition of one of the most anticipated high school athletics showcases in the world, the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships.

During the championships that will conclude on Saturday, April 9, established stars like Hydel’s Briana Lyston, Edwin Allen’s Clayton twins and Brian Levell are all expected to dominate but who are some under-the-radar competitors to keep an eye out for?

“There are so many talented athletes that aren’t from the top schools,” said Champs pundit Oliver “Elmo” Harris.

Among them is Lacovia High’s Sabrina Dockery. “She won the Girls Under-17 200m at the CARIFTA Trials and I expect her to do well in the Class III event at champs,” he said.

Ferncourt High School’s Abigail Campbell is another less-heralded athlete, who could shine during the championships.

“She won the 200m in Class III last year and I think she’ll do well in Class II this year,” Harris predicts.

He also expects big things from Hydel’s Class II sprinter/hurdler Kerrica Hill.

“She ran the third leg on Jamaica’s World Junior Record 4x100m team last year,” he said.

“I’m also looking forward to the Immaculate (High) sprinters. At the Corporate Area Championships, they won the 100m in all classes. The clash to look out for is in Class IV between Kedoya Lindo and Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls in the 100m,” he added.

On the boy's side, Harriss sees a big clash coming in the Class I 400m Hurdles.

“I think the big clash on the boys' side will be between KC’s Rayon Campbell and Camperdown’s Roshawn Clarke in the Class I 400m Hurdles,” he said.

At the recent Carifta Trials, Campbell ran what was then a world-leading 49.52 to Clarke's 49.85. Harris expects more of the same at Champs.

The veteran pundit also believes the Class II sprints will thrill the thousands expected to turn out.

"The Class II sprints, as far as I'm concerned, will be more fascinating. Early in the season, Mark Miller from Jamaica College was considered a shoo-in for the 100 and 200m. That's no longer the case. He could win and he has the fastest time coming in but there's Shaquane Gordon of Calabar, Gary Card from Wolmer's and Omarion Barrett from Steer Town. That race will be fascinating," he said.

However, with all that said, who does Harris believe will win the respective titles at Champs 2022?

“I think KC will win Boys champs ahead of JC and Calabar. On the Girls' side, Edwin Allen will win, Hydel second and St. Jago third,” Harris said.

When you think about the greatest athletes of all time in any sport, Jamaica’s eight-time Olympic gold medallist and multiple world record holder Usain Bolt, will always come to mind.

Bolt, who retired in 2017, dominated global athletics for a decade winning the 100/200m sprint double in an unprecedented three consecutive Olympic Games (2008, 2012 and 2016). He also won the sprint double at the 2009, 2013, and 2015 World Championships to go along with the 200m title he won in Daegu in 2011. Bolt's world records of 9.58 and 19.19 set in 2009, have remained unchallenged for more than a decade. 

His dominance was something many expected when they first saw him and track & field pundit and four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon is no different.

“I always thought Bolt could be special if somebody bridged that gap between his junior success and getting into the pros and his coach Glen Mills did that,” Boldon said in an interview with Athletics Weekly.

Boldon recalled how remarkable Bolt was the first time he ever saw him compete.

“The first time I saw him was actually a long way before the rest of the world was paying attention. He was at the Caribbean Games in 2004 and he set the World U20 200m record, clocking 19.93. It lasted all the way until last year,” he said. The USA Erriyon Knighton broke Bolt's U18 and U20 world records in 2021.

“He had his chain tucked into his mouth and he took the last 100m off. He was looking at girls in the stand and could’ve waved to the crowd, he was so far in front. He ran 19.93! Imagine a junior doing that? I’d never seen anybody that tall move their legs that quickly. Of course, he went to the Athens Olympics later on that year and didn’t get through the first round. Then in 2005, he re-emerges and he’s on the pro circuit,” he added.

Bolt’s rise didn’t come without setbacks as in 2005, he got to the final of the Men’s 200m at the World Championships in Helsinki and was in position for a medal before he pulled up injured with about 60 metres to go, finishing eighth in 26.27.

“Two years later in 2007, he gets the World 200m silver medal (in Osaka, Japan) behind Tyson Gay and he arrives. Everyone knows what then happened in Beijing in 2008,” Boldon said.

"As they say, the rest is history."

Four-time Caribbean Premier League Champions Trinbago Knight Riders have signed Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell and middle-order batsman Nicholas Pooran for the 2022 season.

LAFC maintained top spot of the Western Conference in the MLS on Sunday, claiming a gutsy 4-2 win away to Orlando City.

Though the visitors hit the lead twice in the first half at Exploria Stadium, the Lions equalised as many times, including a finely taken goal from Alexandre Pato in the 36th minute.

Sensing where the ball would drop following Mauricio Peyeyra's ball over and into the penalty area, Pato set himself and calmly volleyed past Maxime Crepeau.

Ilie Sanchez rifled home a mere six minutes into the second half and from there, LAFC were able to sit and absorb Orlando pressure.

After some important saves from Crepeau to deny a third equaliser, substitute Kwadwo Opoku was able to score an injury-time sealer in transition, moving Steve Cherundolo's side to four wins and a draw from five games.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia Union were able to keep their place atop the Eastern Conference, with a 2-0 win at home to Charlotte FC.

The Union took the lead after only four minutes and in uncomplicated fashion, with Sergio Santos running on to a ball over the top and assisting for Julian Carranza from the byline.

Daniel Gazdag doubled the margin a minute within the restart, and similarly to LAFC, absorbed pressure in their defensive half to see out the win to move to 13 points from five games.

NY Red Bulls and Atlanta stayed within three points of Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference with respective 1-0 victories over New England Revolution and DC United. Columbus Crew dropped points at home to Nashville, with Alex Muyl's lone goal the difference.

A Gonzalo Higuain penalty would not suffice for Inter Miami, who remain rooted to the bottom of the ladder in the East, after Phil Neville's side losing 3-1 to Houston Dynamo. Chicago Fire and FC Dallas played out a goalless draw, while Toronto FC beat reigning MLS Cup champions New York City 2-1.

In the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake fell two points behind with a 1-1 draw away to Colorado, Austin FC conceded two goals in as many minutes to eventually play out a 2-2 draw against San Jose Earthquakes.

Ryan Raposo's 73rd-minute winner was enough for Vancouver Whitecaps at home to Sporting KC, while Brent Kallman's own goal eventually condemned Minnesota to their first defeat of the season, losing 2-1 to the Seattle Sounders.