One-horse race for boys’ title

Many pundits predicted a close finish between Kingston College (KC), Calabar High, and Jamaica College (JC) for the boys’ title on the eve of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, but in the end it turned out to be a one-horse race.

Motivated by their 100th anniversary celebrations, KC romped to an overwhelming victory. They outscored their nearest rivals Calabar by more than 63 points. They amassed 293, well clear of Calabar’s 229.25 and JC in third with 207. It was a wire-to-wire victory for the defending champions, their fourth consecutive title and 36th overall.

KC made their intentions clear from the start. By the end of the second day they had raced into an 18-point lead, scoring 47 points to JC’s 29. Calabar were well back in sixth place on 22.

From that point on, it was a case of ‘catch me if you can’ for KC. Spurred on by hundreds of supporters, they turned up the heat. JC struggled to keep up, and what was expected to be a three-way fight quickly became a two-team battle, with Calabar staying within striking distance until the final day.

In the opening events on day five, the sprint hurdles finals, Calabar made a strong push. After witnessing Shaquane Gordon upset favourite Daniel Clarke to win the Class One 110m hurdles, Calabar’s supporters held onto hope for a comeback.

However, KC remained in full control, thanks to dominant performances, particularly in the field events, and they ensured the outcome would not be close, sending their fans into wild celebrations inside the stadium.

Leading the way for KC was Class Two jumper Amani Phillips. He secured the long jump title on the second day with a leap of 7.15m before shattering records in the triple jump on the final day with a mark of 15.66m.

On the track, Brian Kiprop provided another major boost for the winners as he upset St Jago High’s Ryan Achau in the Class One 1500m. Despite being the defending champion, Kiprop was not the favourite, as Achau — his fellow Kenyan — had been in top form all season. But Kiprop remained composed, watching Achau go out surprisingly fast before fading to a walk. Kiprop then secured victory in 3:55.24. Later, Kiprop joined Phillips as a double winner, comfortably taking the 2000m steeplechase in 5:56.72.

KC also dominated the 400m, securing two crucial wins on Thursday and building momentum heading into the penultimate day of competition. Jason Pitter set the tone with victory in the Class Two 400m, clocking 47.92 seconds. Then, in the Class One final, teammates Tajh-Marques White and defending champion Marcinho Rose thrilled the crowd with a stunning one-two finish, both dipping under 46 seconds. White won in 45.84, with Rose close behind in 45.90.

Both athletes then teamed up for the final event of the meet, the 4x400m open, delivering a grand finale for their fans. Their victory in 3:07.46 was a fitting send-off for head coach Leaford Grant in his final year at the helm — a perfect 100th-anniversary gift for KC.