Off to Costa Rica!
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Five western Jamaica-based athletes — three attend high schools in the region, while the others are former students who pursued their secondary education at schools also in western Jamaica — are part of the Jamaica team that will start their medal hunt at the Pan-American Under -20 track and field championships that gets underway here tomorrow.
The three-day championships, arguably the most competitive in the region, will end on Sunday, and will see the Jamaicans going up against some of the best in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Cuba, as well as other Caribbean islands.
Michael McIntosh of Green Island High was selected the head coach of the 40- member squad named by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) following the four-day national championships at the National Stadium last month.
Tyrese Reid of Spot Valley High, Kevon Stone and Shaquena Foote of Petersfield, as well as former Rhodes Hall High intermediate hurdler Rovane Williams and former Mt Alvernia High sprinter Kemba Nelson are part of the team.
Reid will contest the 800m; 200m specialist Stone, is expected to be part of the boys’ sprint relay team, while the versatile Foote will contest the 400m and 4x400m relays.
Williams, who is now based in the US, will contest the 400m hurdles, while Nelson, who is part of the UTech track programme, and who won the sprint double at the national championships, is expected to run both the 100m and 200m events.
Nelson was part of the Jamaican team that took part in the NACAC Under-23 Championships in Mexico two weeks ago, and was a finalist in the 100m.