Contenders register strong performances at Youngster Goldsmith meet
TOP guns Kingston College, Calabar, Edwin Allen and Hydel High dominated the Youngster Goldsmith meet at the National Stadium on Saturday, sounding early warnings ahead of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships and making the most of a meet where nine events offered points for the upcoming Corporate Area Championships later this month.
There were also good performances from the St Jago boys’ and girls’ teams, along with Excelsior High’s boys’ team.
Meanwhile, Kingston College’s (KC) Brian Kiprop of Kenya won the battle of the Africans, turning back the Ghanaian pair of Evans Tetteh and Dominic Amponsah of Jamaica College (JC) in the steeplechase open event.
Kiprop, a first-year Class One runner, sent a serious message that he would be the howling favourite at Champs — if he competes in the event — leaving his rivals for dead after stopping the clock at 6:00.47 minutes.
JC’s Tetteh and Amponsah, both Class Two runners, finished second and fourth in 6:14.34 and 6:26.65, respectively. Interestingly, both JC athletes are in a battle with ISSA over eligibility issues for this season after arriving in the country on October 4, outside the registration window.
Two weeks ago, Kiprop caught JC’s Nelle Ambriton of St Vincent on the line, clocking 6:06.64, and the two were expected to renew their rivalry — but Ambriton was scratched from the event.
Meanwhile, Sushanna Johnson of Edwin Allen captured the girls’ steeplechase in 7:12.40, ahead of the Hydel High pair of Kaydeen Johnson and Taeifa Gowe who clocked 7:16.16 and 7:18.81, respectively.
Tonyan Beckford was quickest in the Class One girls’ 400m hurdles, winning heat three in 58.52 seconds ahead of her teammate Natasha Fox of Trinidad and Tobago in 59.00.
KC’s Antonio Forbes showed that he is ready for Champs by capturing the boys’ Class One event in 51.81, ahead of Excelsior High’s Richard Hall who posted 52.20. Calabar’s Shadane Smith was third overall in 52.66.
Zodian Baker of Edwin Allen captured the Girl’s Class Four high jump with 1.55m, while Gabrilla Treasure of St Catherine High took the Class Three high jump with 1.63m.
Meanwhile in the 400m for boys, KC’s Amal Glasgow won in 47.95 in Class One while Calabar’s rising star Nickecoy Bramwell cruised home in 49.75 in the Class Two equivalent. St Jago’s Andre Boyd was quickest in Class Three with 52.00.
In the girls’ section, Hydel won two of the three 400m races. Abigail Campbell took Class One in 53.95 and Sashana Johnson won Class Three in 56.84. Edwin Allen’s Kellyann Carr won Class Two in 55.03.
Nathaniel Wallace (4:06.77) of William Knibb got the better of KC’s pair of Ethan Gioko (4:08.24) and Jacquan Coke (4:08.74) in the Class One 1500m.
Sekani Brown of Calabar captured the Class Two 1500m in 4:15.66 while his teammate Obrian Clarke won Class Three in 4:38.80.
The Hydel girls swept the 1500m, winning all three classes.
Kaydeen Johnson took Class One in 4:35.05, Shania Grant won Class Two in 5:15.68, and Danique Martin captured Class Three in 5.24.46.
Wolmer’s Boys’ Nicardo Grey-Clarke won the Class One triple jump with a leap of 15.07m, ahead of Romaine Lewis of Calabar with 14.67m and KC’s Nathan Wade with 14.62m. Zachary Merchant of KC won Class Two with 13.67m.
The impressive Stesean Hurd of KC leapt 1.90m to win the Class Three high jump, while Calabar’s Kijaun Williams took Class Two, also with 1.90m.