The 2024 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships is set for a nail-biting conclusion, as the race for the Girls’ title remains too close to call with just three events left at the National Stadium on Saturday.
At the end of the highly anticipated sprint relays, Hydel High clung to a slim lead with 255 points, followed closely by Edwin Allen on 244 and Holmwood Technical on 222.5.
In the high-stakes Class One 4x100m relay, Hydel, anchored by 400m champion Abigail Campbell, showcased grit and determination, storming to victory in 44.55s, the fastest time of the season. But the margin for error was razor-thin, as Edwin Allen (44.62s) and Holmwood Technical (44.73s) stayed within striking distance, keeping their title hopes alive.
Wolmer’s Girls stole the show in the Class Two event, where Natrece East delivered a blistering anchor leg, propelling her team to victory in 44.99s. Hydel (45.63s) and St Jago (45.77s) rounded out the podium.
In Class Three, St Jago justified their pre-race favouritism, dominating the event in 45.79s, well ahead of Holmwood Technical (46.84s) and Hydel (47.02s). Edwin Allen, hoping to gain crucial points, suffered a massive setback after a baton mishap on the third leg exchange, denting their championship ambitions.
However, the defending champions bounced back in Class Four with a commanding 47.83s victory. Convent of Mercy (48.56s) and St Andrew High for Girls (48.58s) took second and third, while Hydel—mirroring Edwin Allen’s earlier misfortune—dropped their baton, losing valuable points in the title race.
Earlier, Edwin Allen's Sushana Johnson was the star of the Girls’ 3000m Open, upgrading her bronze from last year to gold with a strong 10:13.58 finish. Vere Technical’s Ashara Frater (10:16.97) settled for silver for the second consecutive year, while Holmwood Technical’s Terrica Clarke (10:31.24) took third.
Over in the shot put, Excelsior’s Kimeka Smith put on a dominant display, hurling 15.02m on her final attempt to claim Class One gold. However, her previous marks of 14.76m, 14.44m, and 14.65m would have still been enough to secure victory. St Catherine’s Able Mills (13.83m) finished second, with Hydel’s Nastassia Burrell (13.80m) grabbing third—crucial points for the title race.
The Class One long jump saw St Catherine’s Rohanna Sudlow leap to gold with a 6.46m effort, ahead of St Elizabeth Technical’s Chloe Palmer (6.26m). Triple jump champion Jade-Ann Dawkins of St Jago, hoping to complete the double, had a rough series, managing only 5.80m on her opening attempt before fouling four times. Her final jump of 5.78m was not enough to move up the podium.
Meanwhile, Campion College’s Stefvanco Henry, coming back from an injury scare, secured the Class Three long jump title with a leap of 5.61m. She edged Ashley Barrett (5.56m) of Immaculate Conception and St Mary High’s Sackoya Palmer (5.55m) for the top spot.