Title contenders show early Champs form

The GraceKennedy ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships is just over six weeks away, and last Saturday, at the Youngster Goldsmith Classics at the National Stadium and the Fervet Distance Carnival at Ashenheim Stadium, leading contending teams for the male and female titles showed good early form.

With Kingston College (KC), Calabar High, and Jamaica College (JC) sharing the spoils among the boys on the track, and Hydel and Edwin Allen on the female side both looking in top form, fans are in store for an intriguing championships. It could very well come down to the field events to decide the two winners next month.

In a very strategic move, the organising committee of the Youngster Goldsmith Classics allowed female field events to be contested at JC, ensuring that athletes in both sexes received maximum attempts in the different disciplines. The move paid off, with several outstanding performances.

Immaculate Conception's Zoelle Jamal led the way among the females with a meet record throw of 40.99 metres to win the Open javelin, getting the better of Shamanda Donna Marie Wilmot of Holmwood Technical with 39.81m and Laquay Harrison of University of Technology with 37.86m.

Wilmot improved on her second-place finish in the javelin to win the Class Two shot put with a heave of 13.63m as the Edwin Allen duo of Shandre Brown (11.96m) and Fabriana Perry (11.59m) finished second and third, respectively.

St Elizabeth Technical High School's Davieka Lewis produced a personal best 46.16m to win the Class Two discus, with Brown of Edwin Allen second with 42.77m and Brandane Malcolm of Hydel third with 42.02m.

Xiah Tobias of Vere Technical ruled supreme in the Girls' Class Two long jump with a winning distance of 5.67m. Rajuan Price of Alpha Academy was second with 5.57m and Tiana Peart of Holmwood third with 5.03m.

Vere also topped the Girls' Open triple jump as Martina Moxan cleared 11.75m, finishing ahead of Jaedan Robinson of Immaculate with 11.39m and Kevona Peterkin of William Knibb, 11.38m.

Seana Wilson of Alpha took the Class Three long jump with a distance of 5.26m, and Sukhuri Shay-Smith of Immaculate won Class Four with 5.13m.

BOYS' EVENTS

Michael Jordan Neil of JC led the way among the males after soaring to a winning height of 2.00 metres to equal his personal best in the Open high jump. Tejahni Haynes of KC finished second with 1.95m, the same height cleared by Munro College's Ainsworth Ferguson in finishing third.

KC were victorious in classes two and three high jump. In Class Two, Nikaro Johnson won with 1.95m to equal his personal best, getting the better of Leandrae Thomas of Herbert Morrison with 1.85m, and Sheshan Hurd of KC was third, also with 1.85m.

Joel Patrickson was first in Class Three after clearing the bar at 1.75m, ahead of teammate Jaydon Bailey with 1.65m and Daveon Brown of Jamaica College with 1.55m.

KC were also victorious in the pit in the Boys' Class One triple jump through Amari Phillips with a distance of 15.03m, getting the better of Kabika Thomas of Wolmer's with 14.67m and Kemar Jones of St Jago with 14.05m.

Winaldo Faulkner of St Jago captured the Class Two triple jump with 14.83m, finishing ahead of KC's Alex King with 14.57m and Demario Clarke with 14.16m.

Antwane Miller of JC won the Class Two long jump with 5.96m. Joel Peterkin of KC was second with 5.84m, and Malique Brown of JC was third.

In the throwing events, Edwin Allen's Addison James led the way with a winning mark of 62.27m in the Boys' Open javelin. Tarique Daley of Calabar (53.39m) and Kimani Smith of KC (48.53m) finished second and third, respectively.

It was a personal best for KC's Daijon Budhai in capturing the Class One discus with a massive 62.13m effort. Kamari Kennedy of Calabar was second with 58.72m and Dylan Logan of KC third with 56.00m.

Javantae Smith of Munro continued his good form this season in the Boys' Class One shot put with a winning effort of 18.24m, relegating the Calabar pair of Khaleel Henry (16.70m) and Khaleel Cornwall (16.77m) to the respective second and third positions.