It was double delight for a number of athletes across classes, as they added the 200m gold medal to their respective titles on Saturday’s fifth and final day of the 113th ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.

Among them were Hydel’s Alliah Baker and Teixiera Johnson, Wolmer’s Girls’ Natrece East and Wolmer’s Boys’ Mario Ross, who all completed the sprint double, while Muschette High’s Shanoya Douglas, added the half-lap gold to her 400m crown.

Baker, who won the Class one 100m title, was again comfortable in topping the 200m in 23.89s in a -0.4 headwind. Brittney McCormack (24.44s) of Bridgeport was second with Titchfield’s Chevauna Grant (24.46s) in third.

The boys’ Class one event was won by Kingston College’s Amal Glasgow, who timed his race to perfection to collar favourite Gary Card of Wolmer’s Boys at the line. Glasgow won in 21.21s, with Card (21.23s), just staying on for second ahead of another Kingston College athlete Marcinho Rose (21.24s) in a blanket finish.

 

In the girls’ Class two final, Douglas, the 400m champion utilised her endurance to topple Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge. Running in a strong -3.5 metres per second headwind, Douglas stopped the clock in 23.93s, with Terrelonge (24.31s) and Hydel’s Shemonique Hazel (24.38s) taking the minor placing.

Douglas’s teammate Johan-Ramaldo Smythe (21.35s) was a cut above rivals in the boys’ Class two event. Jabari Matheson (21.64s) of William Knibb and Jamaica College’s Malique Dennis (21.87s) were second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, the Wolmer’s duo of East and Ross copped the respective Class three 200m titles to complete the sprint double. East won in a commanding manner in 24.29 seconds, ahead of Immaculate Conception High’s Kimberly Wright (24.70s) and Hydel High’s Sashana Johnson (24.80s).

Ross followed suit shortly after, topping his event in a personal best of 22.21 seconds. Calabar’s Ched Brown (22.54s) took silver ahead of Jamaica College’s Oneil Lawrence (22.73s).

In the girls’ Class four 200m, Hydel High’s Johnson justified favouritism, as she won in 25.44 seconds ahead of teammate Tyecia McDonald (25.91s), while Wolmer’s Girls' Mick-Kayla Gardner (26.11s) took the bronze.

Excelsior High’s Damor Miller and Hydel High’s Alliah Baker won the respective Class One boys and girls 100m titles on day two of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Wednesday.

Miller, who before Wednesday had never medaled at ‘champs’, produced a personal best 10.31 to take gold ahead of Calabar’s Khamani Gordon (10.37) and KC’s Yourie Lawrence-Clarke (10.45).

Hydel tasted success in the girls Class One final through their captain Baker who joined the club as one of the few ‘champs’ athletes to win medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m by running a big personal best 11.34 to win ahead of Edwin Allen’s Jounee Armstrong (11.52) and Wolmer’s Girls’ Mickayla Gardener (11.59).

KC’s Nyrone Wade held his composure to run a personal best 10.43 to take gold in the boys Class Two final ahead of Excelsior’s Malike Nugent (10.52) and Herbert Morrison’s Tavaine Stewart (10.56).

The girls Class Two event saw event favorite Theianna-Lee Terrelonge recover from a poor start to produce a personal best 11.22 to win gold ahead of Lacovia’s Sabrina Dockery (11.36) and St. Jago’s Briana Campbell (11.48).

Dockery also joined the club of athletes to win ‘champs’ medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m.

Mario Ross continued his excellent form this season with a brilliant personal best 10.88 to win boys Class Three gold ahead of Calabar’s fast-finishing Ched Brown (10.90) and St. George’s College’s Naethan Bryan (11.02).

Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls rebounded from silver last year to claim gold this year in the girls Class Three final in a personal best 11.42. St. Jago’s Adora Campbell was second in 11.52 while Edwin Allen’s Kerelle Etienne was third in 11.73.

Hydel’s Teixiera Johnson won a drama-filled Class Four final in 11.87 ahead of Mick-Kayla Gardener of Wolmer’s Girls (12.27) and pre-event favorite Rihanna Scott of Ferncourt High (12.31).

The drama started just before the race when Scott pulled up with an injury while warming up before eventually taking her place in the field and eventually securing bronze.

Edwin Allen’s Trezeguet Taylor and Damor Miller of Excelsior led qualifiers to the semi-finals of their respective Class one 100m events on Tuesday’s opening day of the 113th ISSA GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.

Taylor easily topped heat three in a comfortable 11.87s ahead of Camperdown’s Caneila Hope (11.98s), with Brittney McCormack (12.00s) of Bridgeport High securing one of the non-automatic qualifying spot.

Hydel’s Alliah Baker (11.94s) was also easy in topping heat two, followed by Asharria Ulett (12.34s) of St Catherine High, while another medal favourite Habiba Harris (11.89s) of St Elizabeth Technical topped heat five, ahead of Holmwood Technical’s Kiara Meikle (11.90s).

Over in Class two, Edwin Allen High’s Thienna-Lee Terrelonge began her quest to add more gold to her silverware, as she expectedly led qualifiers into the semi-finals. Terrelonge topped the field with a time of 11.25s.

The other automatic qualifiers include Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High (11.90s); St Jago High’s Briana Campbell (11.94s) and Bryana Davidson (12.10s); Hydel High’s Shemonique Hazel (12.00s). Holmwood Technical’s Regina Bailey (12.31s); Immaculate Conception’s Shevi-Anne Shim (12.36s); and Tianna Marshall of Wolmer’s Girls (12.25s), also progressed.

Meanwhile, Natrice East of Wolmer’s Girls’ School comfortably booked her spot in the semi-finals of the Class 3 girls 100m, as she clocked an easy 12.42s to claim heat one ahead of Holmwood Technical’s Shaneka Wilson (12.70s) and Jahmilia Humes of Meadowbrook High (12.89s).

Edwin Allen High’s Kerelle Etienne (12.65s), Vere Technical’s Tianna Bembridge (12.78s), and Mikaela McBean of Convent of Mercy Alpha (12.90s) of heat two, and Adora Campbell of St Jago High (12.20s) and Mount Alvernia’s Gianna Murray (12.60s) of heat three, are through to the next round.

In Class four, Hydel High’s Teixiera Johnson (12.36s) and gold medal favourite, Rihanna Scott (12.52s) of Ferncourt High, eased into the semi-finals. They were joined by York Castle’s Micka-Lee James (12.61), Immaculate Conception High’s Aaliyah Brown (12.71), Holmwood Technical’s Devonnie Francis (12.81) and Manchester High’s Lennora Scarlett (12.98), among others.

On the boys’ side, Miller cruised to 10.60s in the eighth and final heat, leading St Jago’s Tajai Duffus (10.67s) and Tay-Shawn Barnes (10.83s) of Steer Town Academy, into the semi-finals. Another St Jago standout Raheem Pinnock also topped heat five in 10.68s, followed by Jamaica College’s Donatae Watson (10.74s).

The Calabar duo of Khamani Gordon (10.77s) and Shaquane Gordon (10.71s) also booked their spots in the semi-finals after topping heats four and six respectively, while Kingston College’s Yourie Lawrence Clarke (10.74s) and Herbert Morrison’s Deandre Daley (10.75s), were also a cut above rivals in their respective heats.  

In class two, Muschett High’s Johan-Ramaldo Smythe (10.65s) topped all qualifiers. Other medal favourites Tavaine Stewart of Herbert Morrison (10.91s); Kyle Bodden (10.92s) and Nyron Wade (10.95s) of Kingston College; Jamaica College’s Malique Dennis (11.11s); Excelsior High’s Malike Nugent (11.04s) and Tyreece Foreman (11.03s); and Calabar’s Byron Walker (11.08s), also progressed.

Some of the automatic qualifiers in the boys’ Class three includes, Mario Ross (11.36s) and Deandre Myers (11.65s) of Wolmer’s Boys, the Jamaica College pair of Olando Anglin (11.65s) and Darnell Douglas (12.04s); Naethan Bryan (11.39s) and Rushaun Dunn (11.82s) of St George’s College; Kingston College’s Kelvin Brown (11.83s); Edwin Allen’s Taheem Thompson (11.70s) and Kalel Archibald (11:58s) and St Jago High’s Andre Boyd (11.49s).

The semi-finals and finals of the 100m are scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Kingston College and Wolmer’s Girls assumed pole position on the boys’ and girls’ standings at the Anthrick Corporate Area Championships, after an exciting opening day of action at Jamaica College’s Ashenheim Stadium on Friday.

The curtains fittingly came down on the day with the much-anticipated 100 metres, where three records were broken, two by Wolmer’s Girls representatives Natrece East and Tiana Marshall in Classes three and two respectively.

It was those performances that assisted in pushing the Heroes Circle girls to the summit on 150 points, three ahead of defending champions Excelsior on 147, with Immaculate High (133 points), The Queen’s School (77 points) and St Andrew High (61 points), complete the top five heading into Saturday’s final day.

On the boys’ side, Kingston College, on 146 points, opened up a 25-point gap on rivals Calabar, on 121 points, with Jamaica College in third on 109 points. Excelsior (56 points) and Wolmer’s Boys (52 points) occupy the other top five positions.

Earlier, East gave the 100m series an explosive start when she stopped the clock in a new meet record of 11.67s to top the girls’ Class three event. Immaculate’s Kayla Johnson (11.93s) and Tashika Thompson (12.43s) of Excelsior, were second and third respectively.

Marshall, also of Wolmer’s Girls then topped the girls’ Class two event in a meet record of 11.94s, in a negative 1.3 metres per second wind reading. Tashay Faulkner (12.32s) of Alpha Academy was second, with Immaculate’s Shevi-Anne Shim (12.33s) in third.

The Wolmer’s Girls sweep of the top three classes was completed by Mickayla Gardener, who successfully defended her Class one title and secured her ninth Corporate Area Championship medal. She recovered from a stumbling start to win in 12.21s, ahead of Excelsior’s Sharlla Whittaker (12.56s) and Abigail Watt (12.56s) of St Andrew High.

Meanwhile, Mario Ross of Wolmer’s Boys, became the first Class three athlete to clock a sub-11 time at the championship, when he stopped the clock in a meet record 10.99s. His time ran in a negative 1.1 wind reading, saw him finish ahead of Kingston College’s Orandy Campbell (11.41s) and Naethan Bryan (11.42s) of St George’s College.

The soft-spoken Ross expressed surprise at the time.

“I am very surprised that I ran that fast because I have been trying hard to get there since the start of the season and it wasn’t happening. But my teammates believed in me and told me I could do it and I finally did it, so I am happy,” he said shortly after catching his breath.

The boys’ Class two event was won by Excelsior’s Malike Nugent, who clocked a personal best 10.75s in a negative 1.2 wind speed. Nugent upset his more fancied rivals Nyrone Wade (10.79s) of Kingston College, and Tyreece Foreman (10.90s) of St George’s College.

Finally, Kingston College’s Yourie Clarke, signalled a return to form, as he clocked a personal best-equalling 10.55s to win the boys’ Class one 100m, ahead of Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon (10.59s), who is contesting his first year in the class. Damor Miller (10.63s) of Excelsior, was third.

NB: Action of Saturday’s final day of the Corporate Area Championships will be live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

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