Clayton too good at Youngster Goldsmith

SEVERAL weeks ago at the Pure Water/JC/R. Danny Williams Meet, Edwin Allen High’s Tia Clayton clocked a fast 11.64 seconds to win the girls’ Class 3 100m and had the fastest time on the day among female athletes. Then Michael Dyke, the head coach, made a statement that twin sister Tina was running faster in training. On Saturday, at the Youngster Goldsmith Classics inside the National Stadium, Tina justified her coach’s statement by clocking 11.56 seconds.

Tina time was the fastest in Class 3 and on the day among female athletes. St Jago High’s Brianna Lyston, who dominated the Class 4 sprints two years ago, and who had an average season last year, showed that she is bouncing back into her good form of two years ago as she finished second overall in 11.77 seconds in a negative wind of 2.3 metres per second. It was a dominant performance by Edwin Allen as Tia finished third in 11.81 seconds, while her other teammates, Serena Cole, 11.85, and Shenequa Vassell, 12.00 seconds, closed out the top five, showing the strengths of Edwin Allen sprinters in the class.

Edwin Allen had a clean sweep in the Class 2 100m as Brandy Hall clocked 11.72 seconds to finish ahead of teammate Saliieci Myles in her first year in the class. Myles was second in 11.78 seconds, just ahead of Bethany Bridge, third in 11.80 seconds. Petersfield High’s Ockera Myrie topped Class 1 after winning in 11.76 seconds, ahead of the Holmwood Technical duo of Shanette Allison, 11.96, and Krishawn Wallace, third in 12.01 seconds. Immaculate Conception High’s Jounaee Armstrong was best in Class 4, winning in 12.27 seconds ahead of Xavian Harrison of Edwin Allen, 12.48, and Camio Whyte of Holmwood 12.62 seconds.

GOOD CBAR SHOWING

Despite losing some of their top intermediate hurdlers, Calabar High School showed that they still have strength in the event in Class 1 as Anthony Danvers gave the Red Hills Road-based team a big start of the day by winning the boys’ Class 1 400m hurdles in a personal best of 52.6 seconds. Teammate Dean Clarke, the 2018 Class 2 champion in the event at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, was second in 53.1 seconds, while Edwin Allen High’s Sean Kalawan took third in 53.3 seconds.

Like he did at the start of the season, Robert Graham of Jamaica College returned to winning ways by taking the Class 2 event in 54.8 seconds ahead of the Petersfield High School duo of Shamar and Jamar Pearce in 55.6 and 55.9 seconds, respectively.

Kingston College, hosts of the meet, gave their fans a lot to cheer for as they continued their dominance in the sprint hurdles with outstanding long jumper Wayne Pinnock leading the way. In an exciting affair in the Class 1 110m hurdles, the fast-starting Pinnock had to stave off the strong finish of teammate Akeem Cargill to win in 13.46 seconds, ahead of Cargill, second in 13.48 seconds, with Brithon Senior of Rusea’s coming in third in 13.74 seconds.

It was also a quinella for the North Street school in the Classs 3 100m hurdles. Amonte Wray won in 13.25 seconds as teammate Rajohn Grey suffered his first defeat of the season after taking second in 13.60 seconds, ahead of Jamaica College’s Jayd’n Johnson, third in 13.66 seconds.

Neil Sutherland of Jamaica College ruled supreme in the Class 2 110m hurdles, taking the event in 14.21 seconds, just edging out Calabar’s Dishaun Lamb, second in 14.22, as Sutherland’s teammate, Jahiem Stern, ended third in 14.33 seconds.