Lacovia’s Rosean Smith was the fastest in Tuesday’s heats of the Class One Boys 100m on day one of the 2025 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Smith produced 10.31 to win the first heat ahead of gold medal favorite, Gary Card of Wolmer’s Boys, who eased down to 10.32 in second.
Edwin Allen’s Antonio Powell also made it through to the semis with 10.44 in third.
Herbert Morrison’s Tavaine Stewart ran 10.43 to take the second heat ahead of Excelsior’s Riquelme Reid (10.56) while St. George’s College’s Raheem Collins also made it through with 10.66 in third.
Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon ran 10.48 to advance alongside Munro College’s Mickhoy Curtis (10.56) and Edwin Allen’s Romario Finnigan (10.56) from heat three.
Heat four went to Clarendon College’s Roland Smith in 10.70 ahead of St. George’s College’s Tyreece Foreman (10.73).
York Castle’s Rodneil Mitchell won heat five in 10.54, the same time at Excelsior’s Malike Nugent in second.
St. Mary Technical’s Kenric Sharpe (10.42), Calabar’s Jamal Stephenson (10.46), JC’s Elijah Smeikle (10.63) and Green Island’s Oshane Jervis (10.67) made it through from heat six.
Heat seven also saw four advancing to the next round. Herbert Morrison’s Coby Watson won the heat in 10.54 ahead of KC’s Nyrone Wade (10.56), Wolmer’s Boys’ Ainsley McGregor (10.63) and St. Catherine High’s Patrick McKenzie (10.68).
Muschett High’s Johan-Ramaldo Smythe took the eighth and final heat in 10.47 ahead of JC’s Dontae Watson (10.52) while Camperdown’s Ajani Thomas (10.65).
KC’s Jonathan Clarke was fastest through to the semi-finals in Class Two with a 10.65 effort to win heat seven ahead of St. Jago’s Kevon McKenzie (10.72).
STETHS’ Ajannie Kelly (10.72) and Marcus Garvey High School’s Geovaugni Coombs (11.04) also made it through to the semi-finals as two of the fastest losers from that heat.
Excelsior’s Michael Graham was impressive to win the first heat in 10.68 ahead of KC’s Omarian Miller (10.94) while St. Jago High’s Ray-J Reece (11.12) also made it through.
Holmwood Technical’s Jaydon Collins, who won the Under-17 sprint double at the CARIFTA Trials, ran 10.87 to take the second heat ahead of Excelsior’s Tyrone Walker (11.17).
Calabar’s Byron Walker won heat three in 10.93 ahead of William Knibb’s Sebastine Ellis (11.01).
Heat four was won by Petersfield’s Usain Bernard in 10.93 with Maggotty’s Damar Lee running 11.50 to advance as well.
Calabar’s Ched Brown came out on top in heat five in 10.95 while Camperdown’s Raneil Daley (11.11) and St. George’s College’s Rushaun Dunn (11.18) also made it through to the semis.
St. George’s College’s Naethan Bryan took the win in heat six in 10.70 ahead of JC’s Malique Dennis (10.74). Clarendon College’s Hanief Jones (10.92) and Rusea’s High School’s Mark Braham (11.17) also made it through from that heat.
Four people also made it through from heat eight. STETHS’ Rodeeki Walters (10.69), Edwin Allen’s Taheem Thompson (10.83), Wolmer’s Boys’ Marley Robinson (11.00) and Herbert Morrison’s Jayden Wollinston (11.17).
JC’s Kai Kelly was the fastest in Class Three with 10.97 to win the second heat ahead of Herbert Morrison’s Tyler Reid (11.64). Excelsior’s Damarly Brown (11.68) and Muschett’s Kevin Ecclestone (11.71) also made it through from heat two.
St. Jago’s Jevaney Findlay took heat one in 11.33 ahead of St. George’s College’s Amani Burke (11.68).
Heat three was won by Calabar’s Joshua Ricketts in 11.19 ahead of Manchester High’s Ajhani Wiggan (11.31) with Edwin Allen’s Tevontae Taylor (11.53) and Muschett’s Darren Daley (11.73) also making it through.
Glenmuir High’s Ajani Bartley took heat four in 11.80 ahead of Edwin Allen’s Jevaughn Edwards (11.86).
St. Jago’s Rajaun Romelly won heat five in 11.16 ahead of Charlemont’s Kevar Johnson (11.44). Cornwall College’s Marques Reid also made it through with 11.77 in third.
KC’s Andre Genus won heat six in 11.38 ahead of Wolmer’s Boys’ Ajani Lumley (11.59) while Herbert Morrison’s Jahvado Samuels ran 11.72 to make it through in third.
St. George’s College’s Amarii Walker took heat seven in 11.58 ahead of Campion College’s Jaron Brooks (11.60). Belmont Academy’s Joshua Noble also made it through with 11.85 in third.
Calabar’s Jordan McBean took the win in heat eight in 11.33 ahead of KC’s Kemanic Edwards (11.43). Happy Grove’s Jeshaun Livingston is also through with 11.70.
In the Class One Boys 400m, KC’s Marcinho Rose was the fastest thorough to the semis thanks to his 47.52 to win his heat.
His teammate Tahj-Marques White also won his heat in 47.94 to advance. William Knibb’s Jabari Matheson won his heat in 47.59 to advance as well.
Excelsior’s Kishawn Hoffman (47.65), Holmwood’s Omarie Williamson (47.58), STETHS’ Sawayne Kerr (48.64), Cornwall College’s Mario Birch (48.46) and Mona High’s Kevin Bliss (48.30) were the other heat winners in Class One.
The Class Two qualifiers were led by St. Jago’s Rushaine Richards and Calabar’s Diwayne Sharpe (48.85). The top five fastest qualifiers were rounded out by Calabar’s Micah WIllia (48.95), Excelsior’s Gregory McFarlane (49.74) and Port Antonio’s Tyrece Whyte (49.93).
KC’s Jason Pitter (50.00) and Jordan Rehedul (50.09) also made it through to the semi-finals as did JC’s Oneil Lawrence (50.78) and Kyle Thompson (52.00).
Calabar ‘s Justin McCoy and Rajeve Allison were the two fastest in Class Three with 51.31 and 51.71, respectively, with Lacovia’s Nicholas Jones advancing third fastest with 51.89.
In the field, Petersfield’s Svein Lawrence led the qualifiers to the final of the Class One Boys long jump with 7.23m in the prelims ahead of Cornwall College’s Kenomar Jones (7.21m) and JC’s Michael-Andre Edwards (7.16m).
Photos courtesy of Marlon Reid/Loop News.