DEFENDING Girls Open Heptathlon champion Gleneve Grange is well placed for a second day push if she is to retain her title on today’s final day of the 102nd ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the national stadium.

The Holmwood Technical athlete finished the first day in third position, trailing Alpha Academy’s Kimberly Golding who led from the first of the four disciplines by 84 points and was 20 behind second placed Rashema Briscoe of Edwin Allen, last year’s bronze medalist.

Golding, who got off to a flying start in her pet event the 100m hurdles with a solid 13.54 seconds for 1044 points, leads with 2987 points; Briscoe is on 2923 points and Grange is on 2903. Almost 300 points ahead of fourth placed Britney Kerr of Hydel-2797 points.

Grange who won the Under 17 Pentathlon at the CARIFTA Games last year got her title defense at Champs off to a slow start clocking 15.64 seconds in the 100m hurdles for 759 points in seventh place, 285 behind Golding with St Jago’s Lexan Morgan, fourth last year scoring 912 points with 14.48 seconds for second and Edwin Allen’s Briscoe running 14.68 seconds for third.

She then picked up a further 689 points after clearing 1.56m in the high jump, the same as Golding while Briscoe won the high jump with 1.71m for 884 points.

A big 12.66m effort in the shot put gave her another 705 points, over 100 points more than anyone else in the field.

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Golding had a paltry 7.41m in the shot put but came back strong in the final event of the day the 200m with a 24.93 seconds clocking for 893 points, her second best event of the day.

The long jump, javelin throw and 800m will be held on Saturday and it could come down to the final event to decide the title but Grange will have the big edge in the javelin and could take the lead by then.