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March 18, 2008
Another Glorious Boys and Girls Champs
By: Devon Anderson and Dwight Fraser
The ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boy's and Girl's Athletics Championships for 2008 came to an end on Saturday night at the National Stadium in Kingston in spectacular fashion with Calabar High School Boys and Holmwood Technical Girls repeating as champions.
Andrew Riley of Calabar High and Salcia Slack of Holmwood Technical were winners of their respective heptathlon titles, and were fittingly named as the overall points champions at the end of the four day meet.
Meanwhile Munro College's Adam Cummings and Vere Technical's Jura Levy were adjudged the most outstanding male and female performers respectively.
Cummings broke the Class Three 100 metres record with an astonishing 10.91 seconds breaking Jamaica College's Winston Barnes 10.99 seconds set in 2003.
Levy produced a late burst to win the girl's Class Two 100 metres in a new meet record of 11.46 seconds, beating World Junior bronze medal winner Carrie Russell of St.Thomas Technical.
Other outstanding performances came from Class One athlete Yohan Blake (St. Jago) who won the 100 metres in 10.27 while his teammate Nickel Ashmeade won the 200 metres in 21.04, going down on the line in a close call with Ramone 'Goatie' McKenzie of Calabar who posted 21.05. Mckenzie later returned to win the 400 metres in 46.62.
In the girl's section; the Class One Holmwood Technical's Bobby-Gaye Wilkins won both the 400 metres (52.46) and the 800 metres(2.10.89), while Shawna Anderson of Edwin Allen won both the 100 metres(11.58) and the 200 metres(24.61).
The final point standings for the top five schools from the boy's section were Calabar (277); K.C.(233); St.Jago (155); J.C. (153) and Wolmers (128); while in the girl's section Holmwood (352); Vere (210); Edwin Allen (206); Manchester (147) and St. Jago (125).
The winning coaches were Michael Clarke of Calabar High School (boys) and Maurice Wilson of Holmwood Technical (girls).
The meet chairman Mr. Clement Radcliff of The Inter-Secondary School Association (ISSA) made mention that this was one of the best championships from an administrative and security point of view and hope that next year which will be the one hundredth anniversary things will even be better in every aspect.
YardFlex would love to take this opportunity to congratulate the main sponsor Grace Kennedy the Administrative personnel and the winning schools (Calabar and Holmwood Technical) for putting on this wonderful event that is one of the biggest and best showcases of youth athletics throughout the world.
The world will now get the chance to see some of these athletes at the 114th staging of the Penn Relays in Pennsylvania between March 24-26.
Photograph Source: www.calabarlions.com