XAVIER Boland’s meet record 4.42m highlighted the field events on yesterday’s 38th staging of the Gibson Relays at the National Stadium.

Battling windy conditions, the former Kingston College athlete, who started attending GC Foster College in January, cleared the new mark on his first attempt at the height, beating the 4.41m he set in 2012 when he was at Kingston College.

Boland, who is set to take up a scholarship offer to attend Lindenwood University in September, failed to clear 4.65m, which would be his personal best after he cleared 4.61m, also in 2012.

Two Jamaica College vaulters, Christopher Mitchell (4.00m) and Akeem Kerr (3.60m), took second and third, respectively.

Boland, a former CARFITA Games gold medallist, told the Sunday Observer he was competing for only the second time this season and had not been able to do much pole vaulting so far.

“We have the bags at GC Foster, but they were not set up, so I had to do other things to keep fit, by doing a lot of running and lifting weights,” he said, adding that the bags were now in place at GC Foster and his preparation would be ongoing.

Wolmer’s Boys’ Christoffe Bryan, who has been battling a leg injury this season, equalled his personal best of 20.20m to win the men’s open high jump after taking second place last year.

Daryl Garwood, who competed unattached, took second with 2.10m, while Jamaica College’s Clayton Brown, who also cleared 2.10m, took third place.

St Andrew High’s Chennel Palmer continued her preparation for the ISSA Girls’ Champs after clearing a new personal best of 1.80m to win the high jump open.

GC Foster’s Tasha Gaye Bailey was second with 1.75m, while Immaculate’s Safia Morgan also cleared 1.75m but had to settle for third on the countback.

In the men’s long jump, Nicholas Gordon of Eagles Track Club won with a wind-aided 7.86m (4/0m/s).

Gordon had a legal 7.65m (-0.6m/s) on his second attempt after opening with 7.46m (1.8m/s).

Excelsior Community College’s Rayon Walcott was second with 7.27m (2.5m/s), while Jamaica College’s Ajani James was third with 7.19m.

Edwin Allen High’s Claudette Allen continued her good early season, winning the women’s long jump with a best jump of 6.28m, beating Manchester High’s Annastacia Forrester with 6.23m, and GC Foster’s Diana Cauldwell with 5.98m.