STAGGERING 10.92!
That Edwin Allen’s Serena Cole pulled out of a much-anticipated Girls’ Class One 100-metre clash with a slight hamstring injury mattered little to Hydel’s Alana Reid, who promised and delivered a scintillating sub-11 seconds clocking for Head Coach Corey Bennett.
Reid, who has been enjoying top form all season, displayed it in superb fashion on Wednesday’s second day of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.
She stopped the clock in a new national Under-20 record of a staggering 10.92 seconds running in a positive 1.0 per second wind speed.
That time not only bettered the previous national record of 10.95s set by Tina Clayton last year, but also annihilated Veronica Campbell-Brown’s 22-year-old championship mark of 11.13s set back in 2001.
Alexis James (11.45s) of Petersfield and Edwin Allen’s Tonie-Ann Forbes (11.47s) were second and third, respectively.
“I came out here and told myself that I know what I am capable of doing, so no matter who was in the race I came out here to just do my utmost best, and that’s what I did,” Reid told journalists shortly after the race.
“I have been working hard for it and my coach has been there for me every step of the way, and I have to tell him thanks for that,” she added.
With that breathtaking effort, the 18-year-old Reid is now within striking distance of the long-standing World Junior record of 10.88 held by Germany’s Marlies Oelsner since 1977.
“To be honest, yes [the record was on my mind] while I was around the back, [and] I placed up 10 fingers to my coach and he said to me, ‘Just go out there and do what you have to do.’ And, as I said before, he has been a right hand for me. Coming out here and performing very well really gives me the push and the drive to continue working hard as I go forward,” Reid declared.
After nine events, reigning champions Edwin Allen are in front on 55 points ahead of St Jago (47), Holmwood Technical (41), and Hydel (39). Immaculate are fifth on 23 points.
Holy Childhood’s Abigail Wolfe produced a mild upset in the Girls’ Class Two 100m, as she outlasted rivals to win in a new personal best 11.59s in a positive 1.0 metres per second wind reading. Shemonique Hazel (11.65s) of Hydel and Lavanya Williams (11.66s) of Williams Knibb completed the medals.
Despite scarcely showing this season, as she was seemingly plagued by fitness issues, Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge successfully retained her Class Three title in dominant fashion.
She stopped the clock in 11.49s in a -0.9 metres per second wind reading, with main rival Natrece East (11.59s) of Wolmer’s Girls left back in second with St Jago’s Poshanna-Lee Blake (11.89s) in third.
The Girls’ Class Four event produced a massive upset and a one-two finish for Immaculate Conception, as Kayla Johnson stopped the clock in a new personal best 11.97s in a negative 1.9 metres per second wind speed. Her teammate Naje’ Brown also achieved a new personal best 12.20s in second, with Gabrielle Morgan (12.24s) of Hydel third.
Reid’s record was one of three on the day, and fourth overall on the girls’ championships, as Cedricka Williams of Holmwood Technical returned to top the Class One discus for a second time hours apart with a new record 57.84m.
That bettered the 55.19m achieved by St Jago’s Abigail Martin on Tuesday’s opening day. Martin placed second with 53.81m with Camperdown’s Britannie Johnson (50.69s) in third.
Earlier, Kimeka Smith secured St Jago’s first gold medal of the championship when she topped the Girls’ Class Two shot put with a new personal best 15.82m.
The 16-year-old first-year Class Two athlete was not too far off Danielle Sloley’s record of 15.99m set in 2018, which left her somewhat disappointed.
She won ahead of Natassia Burrell (15.55m) of Hydel and St Catherine’s Able Mills (15.27m).
“It was an okay performance, I really wanted to go over 16.00m and break the record, but unfortunately it didn’t come, so I have to settle for this and just keep working,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer.
“I am way more confident than I was coming into the championships so I am hoping to get another personal best in the discus and get into the top eight,” she added.
Prior to that, there were some surprises in the Girls’ Class Four long jump, as medal favourites Tiyana Peart of Holmwood Technical and Vere Technical’s Jenoya Mesquito both failed to hit the qualifying mark of 4.90m and will have to watch today’s final from the outside.
Immaculate Conception’s Ashley Barrett, with a big leap of 5.13m, has placed herself in contention for the gold medal, along with Eastern Champion Sackoya Palmer of St Mary’s High, who cut the sand at 4.93m on her first attempt.
Port Antonio’s Kevina Bourne (5.11m) and Tracey-Ann Evans (4.95m), of Holmwood Technical, are also in the mix.
All went smoothly for the main protagonists in the Girls’ Class Three long jump, with favourite Asia McKay of Edwin Allen among a number of contenders to clear the 1.50m qualifying mark on first attempts.
The same was true for the Girls’ Class One shot put in which twins Britannia and Britannie Johnson, with marks of 13.85 and 13.00m respectively, along with Edwin Allen’s Rochelle Salmon (13.12m) headlined qualifiers to the final.
Central champion and last year’s bronze medal winner Deijanae Bruce of Edwin Allen remains on course to justify favouritism in the Girls’ Class Two high jump, as she topped all qualifiers, clearing the bar at 1.70m.
Her main rival, Danielle Noble of Wolmer’s Girls, also progressed with a height of 1.65m and will ensure that things are kept interesting in the medal event.
Meanwhile, St Jago’s Jessica Thompson, the Central champion, headlined qualifiers to the Girls’ Class Three discus final with a mark of 38.35m, while Excelsior’s Kayla Honeywell (33.54m), the other gold medal contender, also progressed with consummate ease.