In Your Neighbourhood

ATL Autohaus National Amateur Golf Champs

The ATL Autohaus National Amateur Golf Championships will take place this weekend at the Caymanas Golf & Country Club. Play starts today and continues until Monday and will see some of Jamaica's top golfers competing for the title of National Amateur Champion.

St Andrew Prep recordhighest team score

St Andrew Prep, with 149 for five in 25 overs, posted the highest team score of all the matches played on Thursday in the Scotiabank prep schools cricket competition in Surrey's Zone C.

St Andrew defeated Mavisville Prep by a whopping 138 runs. Neil Johnson recording the highest individual score of 76 for St Andrew. He got support from Jean-Pierre Daley, who scored 18. Joel Ragbeer, with two for six in one over, got the most wickets.

Mavisville were skittled out for 11. The main wicket-takers were Jean-Pierre Daley with five for two 1.5 overs and Neil Johnson two for six.

In another game in Zone C, Trafalgar Prep defeated St Theresa Prep by eight wickets. Trafalgar scored 83-2 from 9.2 overs in reply to St Theresa's 80 all out in 19.3 overs.

top scores

Rushan Walker, 36, and Shamoore Tomlinson, 32, top-scored for Trafalgar, while Jordan Gillies took the two wickets to fall.

Kymani Irving, 20, and Jordan Gillies, 18, made the most runs for St Theresa, while Raezon Thomas, with three for seven, and Shalmoore Tomlinson, three for six, were the leading wicket-takers for Trafalgar.

Zone A's matches went to Richmond Prep over Our Lady of the Angels and St Cecelia over Rose Gordon.

Only one match was scheduled for Zone B, which went to Portmore Missionary over Meadowbrook Prep.

In Zone D, the two matches were won by Ardenne and Covenant Prep.

Competition in Surrey will continue on Wednesday, May 25 in Zones A, B, C and D.

Bucknor, Summerfield take early lead

Bucknor continued their impressive run in the 2011 Claro Clarendon Division One when they opened their campaign in the quarter-final group round with a 2-1 win over Springfield.

Bucknor finished their preliminary round with a perfect win record ahead of Summerfield and are drawn in quarter-final for Group A, which also includes Jamalco and Four Paths.

Summerfield also justified their elevation to the quarter-final round with an opening 1-0 win over Ebony Stars. Summerfield are drawn in Group B, which also includes Black Stars and Mineral Heights.

In the other quarter-final group matches, Jamalco drew 1-1 with Four Paths, while Blacks Stars and Mineral Heights battled to a 2-2 draw. The points standings show Bucknor leading Group A on three points ahead of Jamalco and Four Paths with one point each. Summerfield head Group B on three points, ahead of Black Stars and Mineral Heights, one each.

The competition resumes today with Summerfield hosting Black Stars. Tomorrow, Four Paths will entertain Bucknor, while Springfield host Jamalco.

New Testament Cobbla Church league

Defending champions George North will face Contrivance in one of two matches tomorrow in the 2011 renewal of the Cobbla New Testament Church football league hosted at the Cobbla Youth Camp, near Spaldings.

In the second game at 4 p.m., Church United, winners of the opening dress parade, take on Napoli.

George North have played just one game, beating Christiana Strikers courtesy of a double strike from last year's leading goalscorer, Avadine Ellington. Contrivance had opened the new season with a 1-1 draw against Clandon Strikers.

In last weekend's matches, Lazio swept Richmond 3-0, while Roose Madrid, spurred by a double strike from Junior Blake and one each from Conrad Wilson and Gawayne Cunningham, humbled Gully Strikers 4-1.

Clarendon/Claro Under-17

Woodhall smashed Rock River 5-0 to kick off the Claro-sponsored Clarendon Under-17 competition.

Sixteen teams drawn in four zones are contesting this league, while matches are only scheduled for weekends. Woodhall, who have the early lead, are joined in Zone One by New Roadsville and Rio Untied. Zone Two comprises Monymusk, Coffals, Jamalco and New Bowens.

In Zone Three are Treadlight, Sporting Athletic, York Town and Cockpit. Humble Lion headline Zone Four, which also includes Four Paths, Original Hazard and a select Clarendon Under-17 team.

In other early results, New Roadsville were beaten 2-0 by Rio; Treadlight went down 1-0 to Cockpit; Sporting Athletic and York Town drew 3-3; while Jamalco got the better of neighbours, New Bowens.

Manchester Under-17 round-up

Zone leaders Kendal, Mile Gully Youths and Mile Gully FC have all booked second-round spots in the Manchester FA Under-17 competition sponsored by Power Services Company Limited.

A total of eight teams - four zone winners and their respective runner-ups - are guaranteed spots in the second round.

Kendal reign supreme in Zone A, landing the maximum nine points from three games. So far, they have beaten Spring Ground 4-0, Cobbla/Gully Strikers 4-1 and Young Diamonds 3-1. They have one preliminary-round game to go and cannot be surpassed as leaders.

Zone B has so far been dominated by Mile Gully Youths. They have nine points compiled from wins against Porus FC (1-0), New Green (1-0) and Greenvale Invaders (3-1). Porus Academy are the next best-placed team.

Mile Gully FC lead Zone C on nine points after defeating Georges Valley, Old England and Studds. Zone D is far from decided as Villa lead with four points, followed by the trio of Mandeville United, Flavour and Settlement on three.

This weekend's schedule is centred around a double-header to be hosted at the Cobbla Youth training camp. At 1:30 p.m., Hillstars take on Kendal, while at 3:00 p.m. Spring Ground tackle Young Diamonds.

Greater Portmore topMulticare Champs

Greater Portmore High successfully defended their title, emerging overall champions of the MultiCare Track & Field Championships for the third successive year with 143 points, at the 16th annual staging of the meet at the G.C. Foster College last week. The Portmore school romped to victory ahead of Ascot High, who finished second with 124 points. Donald Quarrie High came in third with 120 points and Windward Road Primary took fourth place with 112 points.

Greater Portmore High topped the male division with 96 points and picked up another 47 points in the female category. Ascot High led in the female division with 67 points and collected 57 points in the male events. Taking second place in the male and female categories, respectively, were Donald Quarrie High with 79 points and Waterford High with 58 points. Windward Road Primary were third in both categories with the male team earning 60 points to the females 52.

Overcast skies and a light drizzle were not enough to dampen the spirits of the approximately 500 boys and girls from the 31 MultiCare-assisted schools in east, west and central Kingston and Greater Portmore who competed in four classes - 10-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, and an Open category. The young athletes gave sterling performances and displayed fine form, including some excellent baton changes in the relay events.

This annual athletics championships, organised in association with the National Health Fund, is part of the MultiCare Foundation's sports programme which seeks to inculcate in the youngsters positive values, the lifelong adoption of a healthy lifestyle and the building of confidence and self-esteem.

Endowed by LIME Jamaica, ICD Group Limited and Caribbean Cement Company Limited, the MultiCare Foundation adopts a holistic approach to child development and uses sports and the arts as catalysts to promote a culture of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and understanding among young people from diverse communities, and the reinforcement of the MultiCare fundamentals of love and respect for self and others.

Basketball play-offs

The national play-offs in high school girls basketball competition will take place today at Manchester High School Court starting at 9 a.m. Six teams are down to participate in the one-day rally format. The qualifiers are Holy Childhood, Vauxhall High, St. Elizabeth Technical High School, Glenmuir High, Herbert Morrison High and Muschett High.

Central America and Caribbean bridge champs

Jamaica men's national team and a ladies team are competing in the Central American and Caribbean Bridge Federation's Zonal Bridge Championships which started in Cuba yesterday. These are World Bridge Federation accredited games and the winning country will represent the region in the next Bermuda Bowl Tournament (the 'World Cup' of bridge).

Jamaica have competed with great credit in these championships over the years and in the 1980s were often winners.

The special importance of these games is that they will be played in Cuba for the first time. The two Jamaican teams are: Rex James, Trevor Jones, Michael Marshall, Walter Brown, Peter Mais and Michael Coore (national team) and Carol Coore, Elizabeth Williams, Monica Cools-Lartigue, Marlene Fulford, Shirley Tavares and Valerie Marshall (ladies team).

Junior surfers in Peru

Six under-18 surfers and two officials left the island on Tuesday to represent Jamaica at the World Junior Surfing Championships now on in Lima, Peru. The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will be held in the perfect rights and lefts of Caballeros and Seoritas from today to May 29. The six surfers representing Jamaica are Garren Pryce, Oshane Usher, Ivah Wilmot, Elishama Beckford, Akeem Taylor and Armani Green. Icah Wilmot will travel as team coach with Richard Curtis as his assistant.

More than 250 of the best junior surfers from 27 countries will be competing for medals and the honour of defending their nations' colours. Countries are arriving in Peru with teams of up to 12 athletes (four under-18 boys, four under-16 boys and four under-18 girls) and a support crew of coaches, team managers and assistants.

This year they have fielded a very young team but are confident the surfers will gain a lot from this experience. Most of the team is under 16 with another four years to compete at the world junior level. This trip is part of the JSA's youth development programme targeting the island's top under 16 surfers. The 2011 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships will be streamed live on the World Wide Web. Members of the public can find the link to the event at http://www.isawjsc.com/. The team will return to Jamaica on the May 29.

High schools chess

The 2011 renewal of the National Prep/Junior high schools chess tournament begins tomorrow morning at The Jamaica Pegasus, with some 30 schools competing for honours. The tournament will end on Monday, May 23. The schools are drawn from across the island.

Tournament director Adrian Palmer of Chess Enterprise, who also conducts a chess training programme at The Pegasus, said he was pleased to see the growing interest in the sport.

"Chess has become the game of choice among the young generation, and we want to continue to encourage the growth of the sport, given the demonstrated benefits it has in improving mental acuity and helping our young people become even better at solving problems," he said.

Interest in the game has spiked over the last several years, especially in 2010 with Jamaica now having a recognised International Master. Jamaican teams have also distinguished themselves at successive World Chess Olympiads, the most prestigious team competition in the sport.

The tournament began in 2000 with Queen's Prep taking the title.

Matches on this weekend:

Today: Humble Lion vs Original Hazard at Effortville, Rio vs Rock River at Edwin Allen and Woodhall vs New Roadsville at Turners' Oval.

Tomorrow: Four Paths vs Clarendon U-17 and Coffals vs Jamalco at Waterwell.