Oberlin withstand strong Buff Bay challenge

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

OBERLIN fought off a determined challenge from Buff Bay to regain the Jamaica National Eastern Secondary Schools Sports Association Athletic Championships, which went right down to the wire, at the Usain Bolt/University of the West Indies Track.

The rural St Andrew-based school underlined their territorial dominance by capturing their 16th title at the meet's 25th staging, which ended on Tuesday.

Oberlin amassed 567 points, 41 more than defending champions Buff Bay, who finished on 526.

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.

Light work

St Mary High's Titania Markland made light work of the Class Two girls' 400m record, romping to victory in 55.44 seconds to eclipse Natasha Morrison's time of 56.66 set last year.

Markland later returned to shade 2.14 seconds off Jodian Waldron's (2:23.48) record that was set in 2007, as she captured the Class Two girls' 800m in a time of 2:21.34.

The field event athletes were not to be left out as 14-year-old Jordan Tucker of Yallahs High accounted for the Class Three boys' discus record, throwing 41.02 metres.

A new record was also set in the girls' shot put open as Dorian Anderson tossed 11.39m to eclipse the old mark of 11.08m, which was set by Ashantia Hayden in 2009.

Kimron Bailey of Buff Bay High captured the Class Three boys' shot put with a throw of 12.66m, to better Kelvin Grant's 12.31m that was established in 2009.

Wilbert Walker's 11-year-old record (1.78m) in the Class Two boys' high jump was bettered by Buff Bay's Romario Rodney (1.80m).

In the Class One girls' 4x100m, Oberlin clocked 51.32 seconds to erase their old mark of 51.43m, which was set last year.

Fast set

The Class Two and Three girls' were much faster than their Class One counterparts in the relays. St Mary High took the Class Three event in 50.50 seconds and Oberlin won the Class Two equivalent in 50.44 seconds.

St Thomas captured the Class One boys' sprint relay in 42.78 seconds, while the Class Two equivalent was won by Morant Bay in 44.27 seconds.

In the marquee Class One boys' 100m, Nicardo Cameron of St Mary High crossed the line first in 10.81 seconds.

St Mary High also captured the Class One and Class Two girls' 100m, which were won by Davia Wiltshire (12.86) and Jodeen Williams (12.47), respectively.

Williams also took the Class Two girls' 200m in 25.33 seconds, while the Class One equivalent was won by Yallahs' Kimone Reid (26.21).

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 22.71.

Morant Bay High's 15-year-old Romar Foster emerged as the star of the meet, running away with three individual gold medals: 14.63 seconds in the Class Two boys' 110-metre hurdles to better the 15.20 seconds done by Juwayne Moore in 2009; and the Class Two boys' 100m and 200m, where he posted 11.10 and 22.71, respectively. Foster also anchored his team to gold in the Class Two boys' 4x100m relay.