‘IT’S A WONDERFUL FEELING!
Kingston College’s star sprinter Bouwahjgie Nkrumie has put himself in a great position to be considered the best 100-metre sprinter in the history of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships after recording the first sub-10 clocking for a schoolboy at the event last evening at the National Stadium.
Nkrumie, who is the reigning World Under-20 100m silver medallist, outclassed the field to win the event in an incredible time of 9.99 seconds.
The 19-year-old Nkrumie was swift out of the blocks before speeding away from his rivals, with Herbert Morrison’s DeAndre Daley finishing a distant second with a personal best time of 10.14. Jamaica’s College’s Jaiden Reid was third in 10.26.
Nkrumie’s victory in the final was never in doubt after his resounding performance in the semi-finals when he clocked a championship record time of 10.08 to erase former KC’s athlete Zharnel Huges’ previous record of 10.12.
The stockily-build sprinter said that he was always confident that he would have achieved the sub-10 time in the final of the event.
“I am very happy to get this time and it will only get better from here for me,” said Nkrumie. “It feels very good knowing that I am the first schoolboy in the history of Champs to [go a] sub-10 time,” he said.
“But I can tell you that it is not easy to do, but it is a wonderful feeling to be honest because I can’t explain this feeling right now,” Nkrumie added.
He is already looking ahead to the next challenge.
“The season is very long, so let’s see what my coach plans for the rest of this season, and whatever he plans, you will definitely see me running a lot faster,” Nkrumie said.
Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon won the boys’ Class Two 100m event 10.40 ahead of Tramaine Todd St Elizabeth Technical (10.42) and JC’s Dontae Watson (10.72).
KC’s Joshua Spence won the Class Three 100m in 10.92 with the silver medal going to JC Malique Dennis in 11.01, while Shaun Lewis of St Elizabeth Technical took home the bronze in 11.07.
Meanwhile, JC’s Uroy Ryan produced an impressive display to win the Class One long jump with a mark of 7.42m. Demario Prince from St Jago took the silver with 7.36m, while Trevon Hamer from won the bronze when he cut the sand at 7.11m.
Meanwhile, JC lead the points standing with 74, ahead of KC 61, Calabar High 29, St Elizabeth Technical 27, Herbert Morrison Technical 12, while Bellefield High and Edwin Allen High are on six each.
