Edwin Allen among top schools down to compete at today’s JC meet

Inter-secondary girls’ track and field champions Edwin Allen High head a number of high school teams down to compete at today’s 31st staging of the Purewater/R. Danny Williams/JC Development Meet, to be held at the Ashenheim Stadium starting at 8:30 a.m.

Following several field events yesterday, today’s competition will focus on the track. The meet is a qualifier for the March 25–29 ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) and Edwin Allen High’s head coach Michael Dyke underlined its significance.

“Basically, today’s meet, coming off the Christmas break, will show us what kind of shape the athletes are in and the performances will be used as a gauge going forward,” said Dyke.

Following strong performances at the Foga Road High Over Distance Meet last month Dyke noted that today’s event presents a different challenge.

“With most of the top teams in action it will be good competition for the athletes as it could provide a psychological advantage for some going forward,” said Dyke, who is particularly looking forward to seeing his middle-distance and sprint groups in action.

Action begins with the 3000m open at 8:30 a.m. Here, Edwin Allen’s Denique Palmer and Sushana Johnson, Vere Technical’s Ashara Frater, and Wolmer’s Girls’ Jeneil Henry who have delivered strong performances in recent 5K and 10K road events are expected to do well.

At 9 a.m. the 5000m open for boys will take the track. Kingston College’s (KC) quartet of Kenyan athletes – Peter Njuguna, Victor Kagika, Chris Wanyoike Wanjiku, and Stephen Muturi – will be looking for redemption after being outpaced by St Jago’s Ryan Achua a few weeks ago at the Wesley Powell meet. Achua will be absent today but the quartet will face stiff competition from Jamaica College’s (JC) Ghanaian Evan Tetteh and Alex Baker.

Other track events scheduled for today include the 100m, 400m, 800m, all sprint hurdles and the 400m hurdles for both males and females in their respective classes.

One of last year’s standout athletes at Champs, Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High, will make her Class One debut in the 100m and 400m. In the 100m she will face competition from Edwin Allen’s Jounee Armstrong, Hydel High’s Krystel Hoolang, Holmwood Technical’s Camio Whyte and Keira Meikle, and St Catherine High’s Rohanna Sudlow.

In the 400m, Dockery will be up against Edwin Allen’s Kellyann Carr and Shanique Cassanova and Hydel’s Taeifa Gowe.

Tiana Marshall of Wolmer’s is expected to lead the way in the Class Two 100m, with competition from Hydel’s Poshanna Lee-Blake and Natassia Fletcher.

Calabar’s outstanding sprint hurdler, Shaquane Gordon, is set to dominate the Class One boys’ 110m hurdles. He will be joined by teammates Zacre Braham and Robert Miller, as well as KC’s Taj O’Neil Gordon and JC’s Daniel Beckford.

Braham will also compete in the Class One 400m hurdles alongside teammate Miller, JC’s Princewell Martin and St Jago’s Brandon Harris.

Today’s field events include the long jump, shot put, and high jump for males and females across the respective classes.