DEFENDING champions Calabar High retained their Boys Champs title after amassing 280.5 points, just a mere 15.5 points ahead of arch-rivals Kingston College (KC), who finished on 265. Jamaica College (JC) finished further behind in third on 200 points.

It was relief for ‘Rabalac’ who were achieving their fourth-straight hold and 25th lien on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy.

The championship’s most spectacular performance came on Saturday afternoon when KC’s Akeem Bloomfield tore apart the record books when he clocked a scintillating 44.93 seconds to break Javon ‘Donkey Man’ Francis’ year-old Class One record of 45 seconds flat.

The 17-year-old first-year Class One athlete also became the first Jamaican schoolboy to break the 45 seconds barrier and the fastest Jamaican junior of all time in the event. St Jago’s Nathon Allen ran a superb 45.30 seconds as runner-up, while schoolmate Martin Manley finished third in 46.41.

What would Champs be without another Jaheel Hyde spectacle?

The Wolmer’s High standout was once again in record-breaking form when he lowered his own 400 metre hurdles record from 49.49 to 49.01 seconds on Friday night. Hyde was a class above the rest as he finished more than two seconds faster than World Youth champion Marvin Williams, who grabbed second with 51.22.

With Calabar’s champion boy Michael O’Hara securing the Class One boys’ 100 metre event that same night, all eyes were on the battle royale between he and Jaheel Hyde in the 110-metres hurdles event on Saturday afternoon.

With the Calabar man left in the blocks as expected, Hyde enjoyed the lead before clipping the last hurdle as O’Hara’s thunderous finish ensured he defeated his counterpart on the line in a time of 13.49 seconds to Hyde’s 13.52 seconds into a -3.8 headwind.

O’Hara was not finished there, he went on to claim the Class One 200-metres gold medal and anchored the 4×100-metres team to a Class One and a World high school record of 39.08 seconds.

Those four gold medals and 39 points garnered were integral to Calabar’s triumph over KC. The famed purples of North Street showed enough heart to remain in touching distance, but were ultimately plagued by a number of in-championship injuries to fall agonisingly short.

— Alexei DaCosta