#GLNRchamps: Calabar, Edwin Allen in control after exciting penultimate day
Published:Friday | March 23, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Heralded for months as a must see race at 2018 edition of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships, the 400m hurdles for Class One boys lived up to the billing as Rovane Williams of Rhodes Hall High School upstaged pre-race favourites Malik James King of Calabar and Jauavney James St Elizabeth Technical to win in record time of 49.94seconds.
Williams came off the final hurdle in the third position but made a huge surge to grab the gold for his school.
Coming into the race, Williams felt as though he had to win as all his teammates failed to advance to their respective finals.
“When I came out this evening and realised that all my teammates got knocked out of their various events, I tell myself that I got to come out and do it for my teammates because our aim was to be in the top ten because we have some good athletes,” Williams said.
With Saturday's final day of competition set to bring more excellent performances, it's the defending champions, who seem set to continue their dominance after impressive showings on Friday.
Calabar are well-placed to win their seventh straight boys' title and will start the day on 161 points with Kingston College next best on 127 and Jamaica College on 89.
Edwin Allen, on 148 points, are comfortably in front of Holmwood Technical, Hydel High 93; St. Jago High 62; Vere Technical High 57 and Excelsior High 53.50.
As expected, the 100m finals brought tremendous entertainment as Edwin Allen speedster Kevona Davis followed up her semi-final record run of 11.35 seconds with a blistering 11.16 seconds record win in the 100m final for Class Two girls.
Two 100m records were broken on the boys’ side as Sachin Dennis of St Elizabeth Technical sped to 10.20 second to erase Raheem Chambers’s mark of 10.29 seconds. Kingston College’s Tarrique Stennett was second in a personal best of 10.37.
In Class three, KC’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie rewrote the record’s book with his 10.79 effort. His teammate Adrian Kerr finished second.
The Class One boys 100m final produced drama before, during and after the race.
Defending champion Michael Stephens, who had injury issues coming into the championships, had to receive medical attention on the track just before the start of the race. A clearly disappointed Stephens, who was seen in a telephone conversation later pulled up midway the race; so too did KC's fast-starting Jhevaughn Matherson, who suffered the latest in a string of injuries that have plagued his career, after being pulled back by gold medal winner Tyreke Wilson of Calabar, who clocked 10.21 seconds.
Ryiem Robertson of Jamaica College, 10.28 and Xavier Nairne (Wolmer's) 10.42, were second and third respectively.
Shian Salmon of Hydel High School was also in record-breaking mood in the girls’ 400m hurdles, stopping the clock at 55.78 to erase the previous mark of 55.81 done in 2011 by Ristananna Tracey of Edwin Allen.
The captain of the Hydel team said that she felt as though she could break the record after cruising 58.83 in the preliminary round.“After I run my heat, I felt it coming but I wasn’t really sure but with God’s help I got it tonight,” Salmon said.
Sanique Walker of Vere Technical finished second in 58.03, while Moisha Barnes of Edwin Allen.
BOYS' STANDINGS
1) Calabar High 161
2) Kingston College 127
3) Jamaica College 89
4) Wolmer's High School 48
5) St. Jago High 42
6) St. Elizabeth Technical 37
7) Excelsior High 20
8) Petersfield High 16
9) Cornwall College 13
10) Rhodes Hall High 10
11) Campion College 9
12) Rusea's High 8
13) Buff Bay High 7
14) Port Antonio High 6
15) Edwin Allen High 5
15) William Knibb 5
15) Clarendon College 5
18) Bellefield High 4
18) Spaldings High 4
18) Meadowbrook High 4
21) Lacovia High 3
21) Muschett High 3
21) McGrath High 3
21) Ascot High 3 25) St. Andrew Technical High 2
25) Maggotty High 2
25) Camperdown High 2
28) Manchester High 1
28) B. B. Coke High 1
28) Papine High 1
GIRLS' STANDINGS
1) Edwin Allen High 148
2) Holmwood Technical High 109
3) Hydel High 93
4) St. Jago High 62
5) Vere Technical High 57
6) Excelsior High 53.50
7) Rusea's High 36.50
8) Petersfield High 33
9) Immaculate Conception High 26
10) Manchester High 19
11) St. Catherine High 16
12) Wolmer's High School 14.50
13) Spaldings High 14
14) Mount Alvernia High 9
14) Ardenne High 9
14) Campion College 9
17) Bellefield High 7
18) St. Elizabeth Technical 5
18) The Queens School 5
20) St. Mary High 4
21) Buff Bay High 3
22) St. Andrew High for Girls 2.50
23) Dinthill Technical High 2
24) Camperdown High 1
24) Mannings High 1
24) Gaynstead High 1