Vaz hold slim lead

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Former champions Vaz Prep hold a narrow one-point lead over defending champions Hydel going into today's final day of the three-day Bigga Jamaica Independent Schools Association Prep Schools Track and Field Championships at the National Stadium.

After seven finals, Vaz, who last won the championships in 1999, lead the standings with 49 points, with Hydel on 48. They are followed by Mona and Quest 33 each, Wolmer's 18, Ardenne 17, Our Lady of the Angels 16, Lannaman's 12, Meadowbrook nine, Mount St Joseph's six, Portmore Missionary five and Mount Alvernia four.

Marlon Tucker, head coach of Vaz, said he is very optimistic that his team can hold off Hydel to win the championships.

Good chance of winning

"We really would love to win, but we are not placing tremendous emphasis on winning because they are children and anything can happen, but if we get the win, all of us will be very happy," said Tucker.

"I think that we have more than a good chance to win it, based on the finals that we are in tomorrow," he said.

Meadowbrook Prep's Jhoni James, was yesterday's most outstanding performer when he leapt 5.00m to win the boy's Class One long jump. Matthew Wilson of Quest finished second with 4.92m, followed by his teammate Keva Lewars-Smith, 4.89m. James was very delighted with his performance.

Excited

"I am feeling very excited about winning the event," said James. "I was in last place and then I jumped to second and then first in my last jump," added James who said he would like to attend Wolmer's Boys in September.

James, an admirer of Jamaica's triple Olympic world-record holder Usain Bolt, could secure two more gold medals on today's final day, when he contests the finals of the 200m and 400m.

Ebony Campbell, of Vaz, won the girls' Class Two high jump, with a leap of 1.35m, ahead of her teammate Shannon Bailey (1.35m) and Hydel's Lauryn Brown (1.20m). Toni-Ann Farquharson of Mona captured the girls' Class One high jump with a leap of 1.51m in front of Jolaine Spence of Vaz (1.48m) and Amthonette Whyte of Wolmer's (1.48m).

Abihail Myrie of Wolmer's won the girls' Class One long jump with a best of 4.83m, ahead of Vaz's pair of Casheena Chen (4.56m) and Jolaine Spence (4.50m).