Oberlin reclaim Eastern Championships title

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

The 25th staging of the Jamaica National/Eastern Secondary Schools Sports Association Athletic Championships at the Usain Bolt/University of the West Indies Track went right down to the wire on yesterday's second and final day, as 16-time champions Oberlin High and defending champions Bull Bay High engaged in an absorbing battle for the title.

However, Oberlin prevailed to recapture their crown, which they had lost to Buff Bay last year.

The rural St Andrew-based school amassed 567 points over the two days of competition, 41 more than the defending champions, who finished on 526 points.

The top 10 was completed by Titchfield (288), St Mary High (281), Morant Bay (247.50), Yallahs (195), Glengoffe (169), Seaforth (123), St Thomas (105) and St Mary's College (104).

Eight records went on the final day to bring the total number of records broken to 12.

The impressive Javere Bell of Seaforth High stopped the clock at 46.91 seconds in the Class One boys' 400m to smash the 13-year-old record of 47.80 seconds, which was set by Omar Henry back in 1998. Bell returned to capture the Class One boys' 200m in a time of 22.71 seconds.

Three medals for foster

Morant Bay High's Romar Foster, who emerged as the star of the meet, ran away with three indivi-dual gold medals.

Foster established a new record of 14.63 seconds in the Class Two boys' 110 metre hurdles to better the previous time of 15.20 seconds, which was set by Juwayne Moore in 2009. The 15-year-old's other two individual medals came in the Class Two boys' 100m and 200m, where he posted times of 11.10 and 22.71 seconds, respectively. Foster also anchored his team to gold in the Class Two boys' 4x100m relay.

(See full report in tomorrow's Gleaner).