STATEN ISLAND, New York: Some of Jamaica’s leading junior athletes are set to experience indoor competition for the first time at the inaugural New York International Showcase, beginning on Friday at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. The two-day meet aims to establish itself as a premier high school indoor track and field event.

Athletes from Jamaica will compete against counterparts from the United States, Australia, Canada, The Bahamas, Haiti, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago. The meet will feature events in sprints, hurdles, distance races, relays, jumps, and throws.

The event is the brainchild of Jamaican Olympian Sanjay Ayre, who also organizes the East Coast International Showcase. 

Ayre expressed optimism ahead of the debut, saying, “Everything is in place, and we are very optimistic about the event. This is a dream come true for me, and I’m excited to give these athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent.”

Jamaica will be represented by athletes from schools including Hydel High, Calabar High, Excelsior High, St Catherine High, and Muschett High. Among them is Muschett High’s Shanoya Douglas, a bronze medalist in the 200m at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships. She is set for high-profile clashes with Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Lisa Raye in the 60m and 200m events.

Raye set two new national Under-20 indoor records at the VA Showcase meet in Virginia, USA, on Sunday.
The West Warwick senior delivered flawless performances across all three rounds, clocking 7.26 seconds in the 60m final and 23.39 seconds in the 200m final to hold off strong competition.

Raye now sits No. 1 in the nation in the 60m and No. 2 in the 200m, just .13 seconds out of the lead. 
Douglas, 17, remains undaunted by the competition or the cold New York weather, drawing on her experience in similar conditions at the Lima U20 Championships last year. “I love fierce competition because it pushes me,” said Douglas, whose personal best in the 200m stands at 22.59 seconds. "Lima taught me how to perform in any weather conditions because it was very similar to here – cold and challenging," she added. "I learned how to dress appropriately, warm up effectively, and keep my muscles active."

The indoor 200m track, with its two curves compared to the single bend of an outdoor track, poses no concern for Douglas. Despite stumbling during practice on the curve, she remains confident, describing the tighter indoor bends as one of her strengths in the 200m.

Hydel High and Calabar High, both coached by Corey Bennett, will each field four athletes at the meet. Representing Hydel are Abigail Campbell, Jamaica’s reigning high school 400m champion and a World Under-20 silver and bronze medallist, along with Natassia Fletcher, Sashana Johnson, and Sabrina Atkinson.

Calabar’s contingent is led by Nickecoy Bramwell, who made headlines at the 51st Carifta Games in Grenada last year by breaking Usain Bolt’s long-standing Under-17 400m record. Bramwell clocked an impressive 47.26 seconds, surpassing Bolt’s 2002 mark of 47.33. He will be joined by teammates Shaquane Gordon, Keano Charles, and Jamal Stephenson.

Excelsior High boasts the largest Jamaican contingent at the meet, with five athletes set to compete: Ryeem Walker, Kishawn Hoffman, Daniel Wright, Demarco Bennett, and Ricardo Carr.
Ayre highlighted the significance of the meet, noting that it bridges gaps in international competition for high school athletes who otherwise face limited opportunities to compete overseas.

“For a long time here in the United States, athletes have just been competing against each other all year round. It's the same thing with Jamaica, and they don’t get the opportunity to travel overseas and compete against their counterparts unless they are racing for their national team,” Ayre explained. “With my event, we are giving the kids added opportunities to run in a showcase where top universities will be scouting them and providing international opportunities so they can be seen by a broad spectrum of track and field fans.”
The first day of the competition is scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm.