Corporate Area Champs: Excelsior set to retain girls’ crown, JC, KC in close battle

Defending champions Excelsior High are on course to retain their Corporate Area Track and Field Championships girls’ title heading into today’s final day of the two-day meet at the National Stadium.

Jamaica College (JC) hold a narrow seven-point lead over defending champions Kingston College (KC) in the race for the boys’ title.

Excelsior lead the girls’ section with 100.50 points ahead of Immaculate High 54.50, Wolmer’s Girls 46.50 and Camperdown High 30. They are followed by St Andrew High and Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’ (28), Campion College (21) and The Queen’s School (20.50).

Michael Vassell, head coach of Excelsior, said they are oozing with confidence going into today’s final day of the championships. “It is really just a matter of keeping the scoreboard running,” said Vassell.

“We had some good performances today because there were a lot of personal best times and so the message for the final day is to stay relaxed, stay focused and just enjoy the day,” he said.

“I think we are definitely going to do it because we are in a lot of finals. But I think that the only thing that we worried about and every coach would is the relays, knowing that you have to get the baton around,” said the veteran coach.

On the boys’ side, JC lead the table with 68 points ahead of KC 61. They are followed by Calabar High (34), Wolmer’s Boys (10) and Excelsior on (five).

JC’s J’Voughnn Blake was in splendid form as he smashed the Class One boys’ 1500m record with a time of three minutes 54.76 seconds. He erased the previous time of 3:56.13 which was set by Calabar’s Rivaldo Marshall in 2019.

Blake’s teammate Roban Handal, who took home silver, also dipped below the record clocking 3:54.76. KC’s Gianni Henry was third in 3:57.84.

KC’s Altwayne Bedward captured the boys’ Class One discus with a 56.31m in front of Calabar’s Kobe Lawrence (56.23m) and Shamar Reid of JC (54.56m).

Excelsior’s Gabriella Gordon won the girls’ equivalent in 5:30.47 ahead of Jahmeli McCarthy of Wolmer’s 6:23.41. Kayla Brown, also of Excelsior, was third in 7:05.85.

Wolmer’s Girls’ Malai Cunningham captured the Class One high jump with a mark of 1.70m, comfortably ahead of St Andrew High’s Jo-Anna Pinnock (1.60m) and Chenssa Davis of Excelsior, 1.55m.