Western Jamaica gets ready for Prep Champs with competition of its own

HIGH-INTENSITY competition is expected for the third staging of the Western Prep School Championship, organised by Western Athletics and Sports Development.

Lloyd’s Department Store are the new title sponsors of the competition this year.

During the launch at the Mount Alvernia High School, Andrew Henry, competition director, told The Gleaner that the competition has been steadily improving.

“The competition will be more intense than when we had started out in 2023. There is going to be stiff competition based on the teams performing this year. I realise the coaches are putting in some quality work that they would have done in previous years. I really expect that some records will be set,” said Henry.

The organisers are expecting more than 150 students across 34 events.

Beginning in the field, the meet will have open high and long jump events for boys and girls, with the other 30 events set for the track.

There will also be open boys’ and girls’ 400 metres, sprint medley relays and the 4x200-metre relays. All other events will be divided by class.

Beginning in Class Four, there will be the 60 metres, the 80m, and shuttle relays, while in Class Three, there will be the 80m, 150m, and 4x100-metre relays.

Classes One and Two will have the same event offerings, namely the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relays.

Duwayne Webb, coach of Williams Elite Academy, said he is happy for the exposure the students are getting from the competition.

“A competition like this is a blessing to the western region for preparation towards the championship. I am looking forward to the competition and for my athletes to go out there and gain the exposure,” said Webb, whose charges were second in the Jamaica Independent School Association (JISA) Prep School Championships last year.

The competition has confirmed nine schools and is still open to adding more. Some schools on board include St Mary’s Prep, DMP Academy, St James Prep, and Montego Bay Prep. This year, the newest school on board is Whitter Institute.

Like Webb, Ryan Wright, St Mary’s Prep’s coach, said the most important thing for the students is to have fun and get exposure.

“Kudos to Mr Henry, he is doing a great thing. I think we as coaches need to form a committee and focus on exposing the athletes. It is difficult to travel back and forth to Kingston. This is for us in western Jamaica, so the students can look forward to something in the near future.”

With the JISA Prep Champs a month away, Henry stated the importance of the championship is to prepare the students.

“It is an ideal time of the year for them to compete. It is similar to getting ready for Boys and Girls’ Champs. The schools in western Jamaica are going to be much more prepared,” Henry said.

He added, “I am hoping that the Montego Bay Sports Complex will be back up and running, so our students will be given the opportunity to compete on a synthetic track for a competition of this magnitude.”

The one-day track and field competition is set for Friday at Cornwall College from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other major sponsors include SeaGarden Beach Resort, Clinicare Pharmacy and Island Alert Security Company Ltd.