After falling short in the 400m final, Kelly-Ann Carr of Edwin Allen returned to the track with fire in her heart and a point to prove, and she delivered in spectacular fashion.

On Friday night, under the bright lights of the National Stadium, Carr ran a clinical, well-paced race to claim victory in the girls’ 400m hurdles open, bringing the curtain down on the penultimate day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

Her winning time of 57.41 seconds was not only impressive but symbolic of her resilience, as she dedicated the victory to her late brother, lifting her bib after the race with the emotional message.

"This one is for my brother #LLF.”

Kelly-Ann Carr eases across the line. (Photos: Marlon Reid/Loop News)

Running from lane five, Carr executed a brilliant tactical race. She tracked Hydel’s Aaliyah Mullings in the early stages before making a decisive move on the final curve, powering past her rival and then accelerating down the homestretch to secure the title.

Meanwhile, Hydel’s Nastassia Fletcher, the Class Two 400m champion, showed her strength by closing fast in lane eight to take silver in 57.92s. Mullings, who had finished third last year, once again had to settle for bronze in 58.47s.

Carr's win also kept Edwin Allen firmly in the title race. At the end of the night, with 23 of 46 events scored, the reigning champions had 129 points, just 11 points off rivals Hydel High (140 points), setting up an exciting final day of competition.

Holmwood Technical sat in third place with 106 points, while St Jago (60 points), Immaculate Conception (55 points), and Vere Technical (49.5 points) completed the top five standings heading into the championship’s climax.