Personal best performances were the order of the day during the finals of the 400m on day three of the 2022 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday night.

It ended with St Jago’s Gregory Prince running a lifetime best of 45.99 to win the Class I Boys event in dominating fashion over Deandre Watkin of Jamaica College (46.50) and Shemar Palmer of Manchester High (46.79).

Marcinho Rose of Kingston College won the Class II race in  48.03 for what appeared to be a Pyrrhic victory as he went down injured after crossing the finishing line ahead of teammate Tahj-Marques White (48.39) and Enrique Webster of  St. Elizabeth Technical who clocked 48.90 for the bronze medal.

Troydian Flemmings of Manchester High ran his heart out to win the Class III race in a personal best of 50.25. He was well clear of Samuel Creary of Jamaica College, who ran 51.06 for the silver medal. Demarco Bennett of Excelsior High was third in 51.12.

The girls’ races were just as thrilling as Dejanea Oakley of Clarendon College followed up her victory last year in Class II with a brand new personal best of 51.81 to win the title in her first year in Class I. Oneika McAnnuff Hydel High, the silver medalist in Class II once again won silver in 52.38. Kaylia Kelly of Vere  Technical (53.59) won the bronze medal.

Abigail Campbell of Ferncourt High pulled off a late run down the stretch to win the Class II 400m in a personal best 53.75 ahead of Natasha Fox of  Edwin Allen High (54.26) and Alliah Baker of Hydel High (54.44).

It was an all-rural school sweep of the 400m for the girls as Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High won gold in the Class III event in 54.76. She finished ahead of the Holmwood Technical pair of Rosalee Gallimore Holmwood Technical and Abriana Wright, who ran 55.47 and 55.79, for second and third, respectively.

In the field, Zachary Campbell of Jamaica College won the Class II Boys shot put with a massive throw of 19.13m. He was more than two metres better than Rajay Hemmings of St Catherine High who put 16.74m. Calabar’s Matthew Clarke won the bronze medal with 15.63m.