Three meets take spotlight this weekend

Track and field fans have been treated to a great build-up to the local 2019 season and things will get into a higher gear today, with the staging of three development meets across the island.

St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) will host the the STETHS Invitational Meet, with the Queen’s/Grace Jackson Meet taking place at the National Stadium, while in the northern part of the island, the second staging of the Northern Championships will take place at the Grizzly Plantation Cove Sports Complex in Priory, St Ann. All three meets will begin at 9:00 a.m.

It has been intense competition so far among the females, with one of the most competitive starts to the season for years. This is expected to continue at the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, where four teams – defending champions Edwin Allen, Hydel, Holmwood, and St.Jago seem in contention to win the girls’ title , and teams will be hoping to score psychological advantages going into that Championships.

Today at St.Elizabeth Technical the Michael Dyke-coached Edwin Allen will be severely tested once again, with a dangerous Holmwood Technical and Hydel set to lock horns. All three teams have shown quality at the various meets so far, and today should be no different.

Among the boys, the home team is expected to put on a very strong sho, while defending Boys’ Champions Calabar are expected to send a strong field- event team. Jamaica College will be sending a contingent mainly consisting of jumpers and middle-distance athletes, while western teams Petersfield and Rusea’s are expected to be out in their numbers, too.

Events down to take place today are the 400m hurdles for males and females, 1500m all classes males and females, 800m all classes males and females, 200 metres along with 4x400 and 4x800 metres.

In the field there will be competition in the long , high and triple jumps along with shot put and discus. Most attention will, however, be centred on the National Stadium, which will host the 16th staging of the Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet. Fans will get a chance to see two of the fastest female sprinters in the world as Olympians Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson, will compete in the Invitational 60 metres sprint, which has become a feature of the meet for the past four years. On the male side, Rasheed Dwyer and Nesta Carter will do battle here.

After a good start to their season, Kingston College will be sending their biggest contingent to a meet this season while Calabar, who have shown that they are not ready to give up their crown at Champs this year, will also be out in force here. On the female side, the improving St Jago High will be the main female team in action, with the likes of Immaculate, Camperdown, Wolmer’s, Manchester High, and home host Queen’s set to feature.

Events down to be contested here are the 200m, 400m, and sprint hurdles in all classes, 200m Open male and female, along with the 4x400m relays. High school teams from Trelawny, St Ann and St Mary will be in action in the first Championships of the season at the second staging of the Northern Championships in Priory, St Ann. Former rural powerhouses St Mary High are showing glimpses of their 70’s form, and they should start favourites here.

They will be strongly challenged by the likes of St Mary Technical, York Castle, Ocho Rios High, and William Knibb. The winning school will walk away with cash prize of $100,000, plus a trophy, with the runner’s up to get $50,000. The top male and female team will receive $40,000 each, while there will also be a cash incentives of $20,000 for champion boy and girl.