Photo: Keenan Lawrence of St. Jago High celebrates after breaking the Class Two Boys 1500m record in winning the Gold medal on Friday night. Lawrence won in 3.57.28 seconds to erase Kemoy Campbell’s old mark of 3:58.06 which stood since 2007.
Dubbed Flying Friday by the organizers, the fourth and penultimate day of the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships was a thrilling affair that produced some sizzling action in the sprints, middle distance and in the field. Five records were broken with a plethora of outstanding performances seen from the youngsters.
The day’s first record came in the morning session via Vere Technical’s Britany Anderson, who ran 11.01s to erase the three year old mark of 11.13s held by current Class One campaigner Rushelle Burton of Camperdown High.
The Boys Class Two Discus record was the second to tumble, after Petersfield High Daniel Cope continued his quest for title number two at this championship. He hurled the Discus out to a new class mark of 53.41 in advancing to the final. The previous record was held by Munro College’s Kino Dubkley at 52.09m set back in 2013.
The evening session got the heat in the stadium up at notch with St Jago’s Keenan Lawrence smashing the record of Bellefield High’s Kemoy Campbell, when he romped home to win the Class Two 1500m in 3.57.28 seconds. The old mark stood at 3:58.06 since 2007.
Outstanding Jamaica College captain Obrien Wasome closed his Champs career with a bang, defending his Class One Triple Jump title and taking along the record which he missed last year due to above limit wind reading.
The confident jumper who won the Class One Long jump crown on Wednesday, flew out to 16.39m to turn back the challenges of all the other competitors. The previous record was held by his teammate Clayton Brown at 6.04m.
Brown won the silver last year, but was not able to give the Dark Blues the quinella this time around. He finished fourth with a mark of 15.62 meter. Calabar High Javier Love rallied to dip below the previous record finishing second with 16.10m and third went to Campion College Jordon with 15.94 meter.
The 100m Sprints brought the house down, with jubilation for some and disappointment for others.
The 2015 Class Three double sprint champion, Kimone Shaw of St. Jago High, stayed true to form to dismiss a packed field in 11.40s. The previous mark was set by former Vere Technical Standout Jura Levy in 2008 at a nippy 11.46 seconds. Teammate Shaniel English rallied to cop third spot 11.68s having separated by Khamoy Farquharson of Edwin Allen (11.65) and in fourth was the defending champion Shellece Clarke, who never got going and crossed the finish line in 11.71s.
Calabar High got another quinella for a second straight year in the Class Two Boys 100m, with Michael Russel (10.48 seconds) dethroning defending champion and teammate Dejour Russel (10.54 seconds). Third place went to Jamaica Colleges Chislom Gordon in 10.77 seconds.
The Class Four Girls 100m was a jolly ride for Holmwood Technical Sashekia Steele who secured a commanding victory. She stopped the clock at 11.91s, to lead home Hydel High’s Gabrielle Matthews (12.01) and Edwin Allen’s Bethany Bridge 12.31s.
St Elizabeth Technical won the Boys Class Three final. Sachin Dennis was dominant from the gun, until he broke the tape at 10.90s. He was chased all the way by Womerian Thiea Shea, who manage to hang on for the Silver in 11.09 seconds. Third went to Shemar Wills of Papine High in 11.13 seconds.
In Girls Class Three action, last year’s Class Four double silver medallist, Edwin Allen’s Kevonna Davis went one better, reeling in a fast starting Julien Alfred of St Catherine to cross the line in 11.63s. Alfred came across in 11.77s and third was Edwin Allen Shanique Rowe 12.04 seconds.
The Girls Class One final was sweet revenge for Edwin Allen’s Patrice Moody, after earlier crashing out of the qualifiers of the 100m hurdles .She failed to secure a place in 200m final, having been disqualified after she won heat 5. Moody outclassed a quality field to win in 11.49s, ahead of St Jago pair of Nelda Huggins 11.67s and Shanice Reid 11.68s.
The moment that the entire stadium waited patiently for, was the match up in the boys equivalent. The entire grandstand rose to their feet, including a drone of Kingston College supporters who could hardly contain their excitement.
It was virtually a hush moment for one section of the grandstand as St Elizabeth Technical Nigel Ellis stormed to a commanding 10.17 seconds victory, leaving St Jago’s Raheem Chambers 10.25s and Kingston College’s Jhevaugh Matherson 10.35s in his trail.
Other notable performances came via the 400m Hurldes Open for Girls where Edwin Allen Shannon Kalawan romped to a World Junior leading time and second best world outdoor time of 56.41 seconds. Second went to St Jago Andrenette Knight 56.98s and Holmwood Technical’s Nicolee Foster won the bronze medal in 56.99 seconds.
The Girls Class One, Two and Three, 1500m finals went to Junelle Bromfield St. Elizabeth 4:40.77, Britnie Dixon, Vere Technical High 4:38.32 and Cemore Donald, Edwin Allen High 4:44 seconds respectively.
Shevan Parks of Bellefield High 4:01.18 defended his Class One title and Calabar’s, Kevroy Venson, rebounded from his 800m disappointment to win the Class Three final in 4:27.56 seconds.
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