Six to watch at Gibson McCook

FOR THOSE who will be among the 10,000 fans to attend the Gibson McCook Relays, there are six high-school athletes to keep an eye on.

They are Tina Clayton, J’Voughnn Blake, Rushana Dwyer, Brian Levell, Brianna Lyston, and Gregory Prince.

TINA CLAYTON: World Under-20 100 champion last year, Clayton helped Edwin Allen High School to the fastest high school 4x100 time of the year – 44.31 seconds –with a cruising second leg at the Western Relays on February 12.

Don’t place any stock in her wind-hampered 2022 seasonal bests of 11.76 and 23.68 seconds, respectively. Her personal best in the 100 – 11.09 seconds – came in her World Under-20 victory last year.

J’VOUGHNN BLAKE: This little genius captains Jamaica College and is the cornerstone of a team that has the Gibson McCook 4x800 metre record – 7:29.04 by Calabar in 2020 – in its sights. At the Western Relays, Blake delivered the fastest 800-metre relay split of the season so far – 1:51.7 seconds – to put his team in front and on the way to victory.

He’s the top man on time in the individual 800 as well, at 1:51.24 seconds.

RUSHANA DWYER: Her decisive third leg – 2: 09.6 seconds – put Edwin Allen ahead at the Western Relays. A week later at the same GC Foster College track, Dwyer confirmed her fitness with the fastest high school time of the season in the individual 800, 2:10.06.

BRIAN LEVELL: This soft-spoken Edwin Allen speedster has clocked 10.46, 20.96 and 47.86 seconds already in 2022. Last year, he ran 10.21 seconds in the 100 and got to the final at the National Senior Championships.

More speed lies ahead for Levell.

“In comparison to last year, he’s a lot better. He’s a lot better technically. He’s a lot stronger. In terms of speed, based on the tests that we have done, he’s also faster,” reported his coach Leo Powell last month.

Watch him in the 4x100 and 4x400.

BRIANNA LYSTON: At 11.51 and 23.23, she rules the clock so far this season and is part of Hydel High’s crack class 1 4x100 team. She’s only 17.

GREGORY PRINCE: Prince was on a roll when a cramp struck in the 100 at the Camperdown Classic on February 12. He had won both his previous 100-metre races and after a false start in the Queens/Grace Jackson meet, he zoomed a superfast 45.8-second 4x400 leg that boosted St Jago High to victory.

Before his mishap at the Classic, he anchored St Jago to a class I 4x100 victory in a season-leading time of 40.57 seconds.