KC, Edwin Allen and Hydel send early warning at JC meet

THE 2020 local track and field season got off to a sizzling start at the Jamaica College (JC) Ashenheim Stadium on Saturday with the successful 27th staging of the Jamaica College/Pure Water/R Danny Williams Development Meet.

Athletes from top contending schools for this year’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, Kingston College, Calabar and Jamaica College on the male side along with female rivals Edwin Allen, Hydel and St Jago, treated the fans to a spectacle, setting the stage for what is to come at Champs, which is set for March 24-28.

Th coaching staff at defending boys champions Kingston College (KC) will have their hands full when it’s time to select their middle- and long-distance Class One team for Champs, as Kenyan Aron Tanui and Kirk Dawkins, who will be eligible for Champs this year after sitting out the last campaign, along with Amos Beadle, all had good results for them in the 5000m Open and 1500m.

Tanui took a double on the day, winning the 5000m in 15:55.84, ahead of Dawkins, 15:59.84, before returning to take the 1500m in 4:01.44 , ahead of Beadle, 4:15.50.

There was also a win for the North Street-based team in the Class Two 110m hurdles.

Amontae Wray, 14.45 seconds, who was competing in the class for the first time, won ahead of Calabar’s David Williams, 14.74, with KC’s Yarie Lawrence taking third in 14.83 seconds.

Farquharson leads the way

Last year’s Class One 800m Champs winner Kimar Farquharson, led the way for Calabar after topping the field in the two-lap event in a quick 1:51 42 seconds, ahead of Edwin Allen’s Chevonne Hall, 1:52.19.

Calabar also had good results in the hurdle events.

Niquane Henry took the first event on the day, the Boys Open 400m hurdles in 54.03 seconds, ahead of Rashane Baslette, (54.13) of St Elizabeth Technical and Jordani Woodley, 55.76; of Rusea’s. Shane Campbell won the Class One 110m hurdles, also for Calabar, in 14.00, ahead of KC’s Tajean Houston, 14.05 seconds.

Home team Jamaica College had two wins each in the 100m and 800m. Dwight Downer won the Class Two 100m in 11.20 seconds and Mark Miller won in Class Three in a time of 11.37 seconds.

There was a quinella for JC in the Class Two 800m, as Omarion Davis won in 1:57.19 seconds, ahead of teammate Nicholas Green, 1:58.77, while Martell Mills won the Class Three event in 2:11.80.

Hydel’s girls dominated the sprint hurdles, winning in three classes.

Jodyann Doyley won the Class Four 70m hurdles in 10.85 seconds, Kerrika Hill, 11.33, won the Class Three 80m hurdles and Oneika Wilson took top honours in the Class Two 100m hurdles in 13.70 seconds.

Their athletes Valeica Williams, 14.01, and Taffana Rose, 14.14, ran second and third in the Class One 100m hurdles, which was won by St Jago’s Rosealee Cooper in 13.80 seconds.

Hydel also enjoyed three wins in the 100m led by the outstanding Ashanti Moore, the 2019 Class One double sprint champion at Champs.

Moore took the Class One event in 11.74 seconds, while Sheninique Hazle won in Class Four in 12.28 seconds, with Alana Reid taking Class Three in a fast 11.76 seconds, ahead of teammate Kemika Hill, 11.86 seconds.

Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole posted the fastest time on the day in the girls 100m, after winning the Class Two event in 11.61 seconds, ahead of Hydel’s Shenese Walker, 11.81 seconds.

The girls from Frankfield in Clarendon picked up three other wins on the day, as Kayon Green 2:16.07 won the Class One 800m, while Kayan Green, 4:51.47, took home the Class One 1500m and Rasheda Samuels won the Class Three High Jump after clearing the bar at 1.66m

Former Excelsior High jumper, Shantae Foreman, the defending Class Two champion at Champs, led the way for St Jago, after taking the event with a clearance of 1.77m, the same height cleared by second-place finisher Annishka Nembhard of Vere Technical, who was the Champs Class Three winner last year.

Rushell Johnson had an impressive win for St Jago earlier in the day after stopping the clock at 10:55.96 to win the Girls’ Open 3000m, turning back the challenge of Edwin Allen’s Janeil Jones, who clocked 11:06.19 for second place.