Record number of overseas-born athletes earn quality points at Champs

The annual ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships has taken on an international look in recent years, and this year, there were a record number of overseas-born athletes from the Eastern Caribbean and as far as Kenya in East Africa in action at the world-famous meet.

These athletes were key to the performances of their teams and provideda significant number of points. Boys’ champions Kingston College (KC) and last year’s winners Jamaica College (KC) benefited significantly from their overseas stars while girls’ champions Edwin Allen High, St Jago High, and St Catherine High got quality points from some of these athletes.

KC’s team had 12 overseas athletes in their team with Vernol Sam from St Vincent and St Lucia’s Khailan Vitalis, Kenyan Nahashon Ruto, and Ethan Gioko from Uganda leading the way with individual wins in their events. Sam won the Class One high jump by clearing 2.05 metres, Vitalis ruled supreme in the decathlon, Ruto won the Class Three 1500m in 4:14.83, and Gioko captured the 5000 metres in 15:18.86.

Brian Kiprop and Ruto from Kenya and Jaedan Teka from Grenada also picked up individual medals after finishing second in their events. Kiprop clocked 4:13.94 in the Class Three 800 metres, Ruto crossed the line in 2:01.45 in the Class Two 800m, and Teka had a mark of 58.56m in the javelin throw.

Five other athletes finished in top eight positions for KC. Rayvon Watkins of Turks and Caicos was fourth in the Class Two triple jump with 14.00 metres and fifth in long jump with 6.24m. Ronaldo Andrews of St Vincent took fifth in the Class One triple jump with 14 51m. Shawn Hector Charles of Grenada and Emmanuel Rwotomya of Uganda ended sixth in their events. Charles clocked 21.55 seconds in Class One 200 metres and was a member of the 4x100m relay team, which finished fourth while Rwotomya was sixth in the Class One 400m in 47.93 seconds and was a member of the 4x400m open team that placed second. Antwon Walkin of Turks and Caicos was eighth in the Class Two shot put with a heave of 14.63m.

Seven athletes from the Eastern Caribbean represented JC. Handel Roban from St Vincent led the way with two second-place finishes. In the Class One 800m he was second in 1:48.72 while in the 1500m he clocked 3:57.09 for the runner-up spot. Lebron James of Trinidad and Tobago placed second in the javelin with 60.74m and sixth in pole vault with 3.20m.

INDIVIDUAL MEDALLIST

The other individual medallist was Uroy Ryan of St Vincent who was second in the Class One long jump with 7.75m. Gabriel Lim and Jaiden Reid of Guyana and Jaidi James of Trinidad and Tobago finished among the top eight in their events. Lim was fourth in the javelin open with 55.92m. Reid ended seventh in the Class One 100m in 10:56 while James was eighth in the Class Two long jump with 6.67m. Trevon Prince of Guyana was a member of the sprint medley relay team that placed third.

Females champions Edwin Allen High got valuable points from two Eastern Caribbean athletes, Anshareah Enoe of Grenada and Natasha Fox of Trinidad and Tobago. Enoe won the Class One high jump after clearing 1.76m while Fox was second in the Class Two 400m in 54.26 seconds and fourth in the 400m hurdles open in one minute 00.12.

Third-place team St Jago High got quality points from Grenada’s Jamora Alves. Alves won the Class One discus with a throw of 48.13m and the javelin open with 40.30m before returning to finish second in the Class One shot put with a heave of 13.82m.

St Catherine High also got help from St Lucia’s Natalie Albert and Jamora Patterson of Grenada. Albert was third in the Class One Shot put with 13.40m while Patterson was eighth in the Class Two 400m in 56.86 seconds. She was also a member of the 4x400m relay team that ended sixth.