Williams, Lawrence shine in the field at Isaac-Henry Invitational

FIELD event athletes, led by Cedricka Williams of Holmwood Technical High and Calabar High’s Kobe Lawrence, produced several record-breaking performances at last Saturday’s S. W. Isaac-Henry Invitational meet at the National Stadium.

Williams, who will be hoping to carry former champions Holmwood back to glory at next month’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships (Champs), was in top form in the Class One Girls’ Discus. Favourite to defend her title in the event at Champs, Williams threw 53.40 metres to win the event, and in the process, broke the old mark of 44.42m set in 2019 by former Excelsior thrower Arianne Adams. Camperdown High’s Brittannie Johnson was second with 45. 48m and Edwin Allen High’s Rochelle Salmon third with 44.07m.

Johnson returned to break the Class One Shot Put record (12.94m) with a new mark of 14.28m. The old record was set by former Holmwood thrower Georgette Samuels in 2017. Johnson’s twin sister, Brittania, was second with 13.89m and Salmon of Edwin Allen had to settle for third with 13.52m.

Hydel High’s thrower, Natassia Burrell, produced a record heave of 15.98m to win the Class Two Shot Put and in the process removed the old mark of 13.82m. Able Mills (13.81m) of St Catherine High and Rohanna Biggs (13.25m) of St Jago High were second and third, respectively.

The versatile Shemonique Hazel gave Hydel another victory in Class Two after winning the long jump with 5.51m. Sabrina Atkinson, also of Hydel, won the high jump with a best of 1.65m. Sashuna Johnson closed a good day for the Ferry-based school with victory in the Class Three Long Jump with a 5.66m effort.

Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole, the defending champion in Class One long jump, also registered a win on the day with her leap of 5.67m.

Lawrence, who a few weeks ago had his first loss in the Class One Discus, returned to winning ways in the event after his record throw of 60.14m broke the old mark of 56.36m set in 2019 by former Calabar thrower Kai Chang. Clarendon College’s Ricardo Hayles (56.53m) and Racquil Broderick of Jamaica College (JC), 56.49m, finished second and third, respectively.

JC did well in the jumps, especially in Class Two High Jump, where their athletes occupied the top three spots. Jaidi James won the event with a record-equalling 1.90m. Teammates Michael Neil (1.90m) also equalled the record in placing second, and Javon Pladley, 1.85m, closed out the top three.

There was also a one-two-three finish in the Class Two Long Jump for JC. Michael Edwards won with a record 6.65m ahead of Euan Young, 6.63m, and Kodi Grant, 6.48m.