Edwin Allen, St Jago on track to defend titles

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Edwin Allen and St Jago high schools were on track to retain their female and male titles, respectively, after day one of the Central Athletic Championships at G.C. Foster College yesterday.

Edwin Allen, with 140.2 points, lead among the girls with Hydel High School, 113, Holmwood Techincal High School, 92, St Catherine High School, 76, and St Jago, 75.5, closing out the top five.

St Jago, on 182.5 points, lead the way among the boys and are followed by Edwin Allen, 75, Clarendon College, 51, Manchester High School, 47, and St Catherine High School, 35.

The performance of the day came from Hydel’s Brianna Lyston in the preliminary round of the girls’ Class One 100 metres.

Lyston, who has been burning up the track all season in the sprints, including a massive personal best 22.66 seconds to win the under-20 200 metres at the Carifta Trials on Sunday, was in a no-nonsense mood in the short sprint yesterday.

The Hydel athlete blasted to a magnificent personal best of 11.14 seconds to turn back Carifta Trials under-20 champion, Tia Clayton, who was second in 11.31 seconds and in the process broke the old record of 11.60 seconds set by St Jago’s Kayla Bonnick in 2020.

The expected clash among Lyston and the twin sisters, Tia and Tina Clayton, did not materialise, however, as Lyston failed to show for the finals.

Tina, who had won her heat in a wind-aided 11.51 seconds, won the finals in another wind-aided 11.26. In so doing, Tina turned the tables on her sister from the Carifta Trials, as Tia was second in 11.37, while Janela Spencer of Manchester High was third in 11.7.

IMPRESSIVE WINS

There were also impressive wins in the Class Two and Three 100 metres by Hydel’s Alana Reid and Edwin Allen’s Theiamalee Terrelonge, respectively. Reid won Class Two in 11.37 seconds while Terrelonge won the Class Three event in 11.88.

Edwin Allen dominated the 800 metres winning two of three finals.

Rushana Dwyer took Class One in 2 minutes 08.27 seconds, ahead of teammate Jessica McLean 2:08.82. Rickeisha Simms won Class Two in 2:10.06, ahead of Kitania Headley of St Catherine High, 2:10.50, while Andrene Peart of Holmwood won Class Three in 2:15.80.

Among the boys, St Jago had two records in the 100 metres.

Ray J Reece won the Class Three 100m in 11.31 seconds to break the old mark of 11.36 while teammate Odaine Crooks won the Class One event in 10.46 to erase the old mark of 10.52.

St Jago’s Gregory Prince was also in record-breaking form, lowering the Class One 400m record of 46.46 seconds to 46.31 with Carifta Trials under-20 winner, Edwin Allen’s Delano Kennedy, relegated to second in 47.02.

sports@gleanerjm.com