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Gibson McCook Relays: Class One boys’ 4x100m will be hot

Published:Monday | February 21, 2022 | 12:08 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
Calabar High’s Rusean Young (centre) crosses the line first in the Class One boys’ 4 x100m at the 2019 Gibson McCook Relays. Calabar were later disqualified.
Ricardo Makyn
Calabar High’s Rusean Young (centre) crosses the line first in the Class One boys’ 4 x100m at the 2019 Gibson McCook Relays. Calabar were later disqualified.

The Class One boys’ 4x100 metres at this weekend’s Gibson McCook Relays is expected to be a thriller. It’s one of 15 championship events on the programme, with four teams having outstanding chances of winning.

St Jago High, Jamaica College, Kingston College and Calabar High are the top contenders. However, St Catherine High and Edwin Allen High could upset if they turn up with their best teams.

With their 40.57 seconds clocking to win at the Camperdown Classics, the Bert Cameron-coached St Jago have the fastest time in the event this season. They had to work overtime as they were in a close fight all the way with Jamaica College and Calabar before their anchor-leg man made the difference. Jamaica College (40.95) were second and Calabar (40.98) third.

Coach Cameron says his quartet of Andre Harris, Gregory Prince, Deshaun Gordon and Jahvel Glanville can go much faster.“The guys were just warming up at the Camperdown Classics ... they can go much faster, and sub-40 seconds is in the making,” said the Olympian.

Jamaica College, with the likes of Christopher Scott, Hector Benjamin and Dwight Downer, can go much faster, so too the Calabar team, which is led by Dishaun Lamb, Mark Manley and David Lynch.

Despite only clocking 41.27 seconds to win at Western Relays, Kingston College have a very experienced group which cannot be taken lightly, and the likes of Adrian Kerr, Tajae Francis and Nkrumie Bouwahjgie will want to ensure that the defending champions retain their title after their close win over Calabar and Jamaica College in 2020. All three were members of Kingston College’s winning team at the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Championships last year, and they will be hoping that their experience will give them the edge.

Two teams that will be hoping to spoil the party on Saturday and capture their first Gibson McCook Relays title are the Bryan Levell-led Edwin Allen High and the Sandray Davison-led St Catherine High teams. Levell and Davison are the two fastest schoolboys around. At the Camperdown Classics, St Catherine High won their heat in 40.91 to be the second-fastest team this season, while Edwin Allen did 41.47 at the same meet.

Any number can play in this event. Calabar’s record of 39.32 seconds, set in 2015, should not be troubled, but an exciting contest is in the making , where it could take sub-40 seconds to win.