‘A nuh vibes win Champs’
JC head coach points to years of preparation, sacrifices for 23rd title
Published:Tuesday | March 31, 2026 | 12:08 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
Duane Johnson, head coach of Jamaica College’s (JC) track and field team, says the school’s 23rd hold on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy at last weekend’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) came from years of work, dedication and sacrifice, while ignoring both the hype and criticisms surrounding his team.
“A nuh vibes win Champs!” JC students shouted yesterday during a morning of festivities at 189 Old Hope Road as they celebrated their Champs triumph.
JC lifted the famed Mortimer Geddes Trophy by topping the boys’ standings with 345 points, eclipsing fierce rivals Kingston College (KC), 282, and Calabar High, 169.3.
It was the school’s second title in six years, having lifted the 2021 title as well.
Johnson explained their triumph came from their hard work and pointed to the school’s motto, ‘Floreat Collegium, Fervet Opus in Campis’, meaning ‘May the College Flourish, Work is Burning in the Field’.
“The truth is that a lot of people say that JC is boring, and funny enough, I always say how can a school be boring when we’re always winning all kinds of different things. But we don’t pay that any mind,” Johnson said.
“We’re not always a school that’s going to come in with all the hype and this and that. We just always focus on working, putting our plans in place and sticking to what we believe in, and sticking to our faith,” he continued.
“That’s what our motto is all about. Work is burning in the field and we do our best to ensure that everything we do, we work very hard at it, and this is the result.”
JC enjoyed a strong start to Champs and by day three, the boys from Old Hope Road had established a strong lead over rivals, and last year’s champions, KC.
While many had already called the title in JC’s favour, Johnson said he kept his athletes focused on the task, not allowing them to get carried away in the excitement.
He said only when the team had crossed the line first in the boys’ 4x400m relay final, the last race of the championship, did he finally allow himself to celebrate.
“I try to keep a steady hand and a steady way of doing things. I told my guys, look, we’re not going to ease up because we know Kingston College, they have a specific fight in them,” he insisted.
“My fear was that we’re going to step off the gas and they were going to roll back. So how we treated these Champs was in a specific way, that we’re going to try and win each day,” Johnson explained.
“So every day, we started the day with zero points, and that was just my talk to the boys every single day.”
Now basking in their success, Johnson said he and his coaching staff have already started their preparations to defend their title.
He said the target will now be on JC as the reigning champions, and they will be prepared to fight tooth and nail to defend their crown.
“Those preparations [for next year] started from last week, to be honest. We know that once we had the title, we are going to be the main target now, just like we targeted the defending champions.
“We are going to ensure that we put up a staunch defence next year. I have a meeting with my coaching staff this week before we go off to Carifta, and we will ensure that we start working, and ensuring that we start to work on those boys for next year.”