Tracey seeks winning start

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

FRANKLINFIELD, Pennsylvania:

Edwin Allen's Ristananna Tracey should give Jamaican high schools a flying start this morning, when action at the Penn Relays get under way at the Franklinfield Stadium in Pennsylvania, as she is set to make up for her second-place finish in the 400 metres hurdles last year.

Tracey and Vere Technical's Rushell Clayton will be the first Jamaicans to take the track, as they begin competition at 9:20 a.m (Jamaica time).

Tracey, the number one-ranked athlete in the event following her record-breaking 55.81 seconds run at Champs earlier this month, will also be hoping to avenge her defeat by Leah Nugent of Abington, Pennsylvania, who won the event last year in 59.15 seconds.

Nugent will also face the starter, along with The Bahamas' Katherine Seymour, who was second behind Janeiro Russell in the Under-20 event at the just-concluded CARIFTA Games. Seymour has a season-best 58.93.

Tracey is in great form and the record of her former schoolmate, Sharon Pinnock (56.91 in 2006), should be history.

It is expected to be a good day for Edwin Allen in the individual events as their CARIFTA Games discus Under-20 champion, Sash Aye Marten, is the top seed in the throwing event, which is set to start at 1 p.m. (Jamaica time). Champs Class One second-place finisher, Devene Brown of St Hugh's High, and her teammate, Serita Roache, Vere Technical duo Tameka Frater and Serene Cannigan, along Omesha Locke of Manning's High, will also compete.

Before this event at 10 a.m (Ja time), Edwin Allen's Champs shot put silver-medallist, Danielle Thomas, will compete, while at 9 a.m., Champs javelin Open champion, Kellion Knibb of St Jago, will make her entry.

In other individual events, Camperdown High's Nickeava Wilson is favoured for the girls' long jump, which will get under way at 12:45 p.m. (Ja. time). Tatiana Wolfe of the Convent of Mercy Academy, Alpha, and St Elizabeth Technical High School's Opal James will also compete in the event.