Hydel High school erupted in celebration on Monday as the ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Championships winners basked in the glory of their latest triumph.

Just two days after securing their second title in three years at the National Stadium, the champions were given a hero’s welcome at their Ferry-based institution as the school grounds were transformed into a festival of joy, with students, teachers and supporters joining in the merriment to honour their victorious athletes.

The celebrations were made even sweeter with delicious food courtesy of Champs sponsors GraceKennedy, ensuring that the hard-working athletes and their schoolmates were well fed as they soaked in the moment. With music pumping through the schoolyard, the newly crowned champions danced, laughed and relived the thrilling moments that secured them the prestigious title.

With just 37 athletes, the smallest squad among the major contenders, Hydel overcame adversity to etch their name in history once again, ending the championships on 277 points in a nail-biting competition that came down to the very last event. In the end, they managed to get the better of their rivals, Edwin Allen, by only 11 points to follow up on their success from 2023.

Head Coach Corey Bennett, who also leads Calabar’s team that finished second in the Boys’ Championships behind Kingston College, described the victory as particularly special given the scepticism surrounding his squad.

“This one is special because we were even more doubted and written off. I heard some of our rivals saying that we were going to come third or fourth and that just served as motivation,” Bennett said. “We dug deep and stuck to what we knew. We knew we were going to come late in the championships because this is not a team that has a lot of flashy sprinters, like in the past. So after the 100 metres on Wednesday, everybody wrote us off and said we are done for.”

Despite the challenges, Bennett noted that the Hydel team remained committed to the cause, fuelled by a training regimen and preparation built on intensity, while demanding sacrifices from both athletes and coaches alike.

“They went through it, and we just asked them to give of themselves with discipline. We also asked them to sacrifice some mornings because we trained early, and it was tough. Sometimes after training, these kids don’t even have breakfast, yet they have to go to classes and operate like any other student. It was rough. But these kids are dedicated, and we had good leadership on the team this year,” he pointed out.

Hydel Principal Dr Walton Small also lauded the team’s perseverance, highlighting the struggles the school faced in preparing the squad for the championships.

“I think the doubters would have seen the results,” he said. “The coaching staff, led by Mr Corey Bennett, did an amazing job. In my congratulatory message to the team, I told them, I am not sure how you did this, but you have cemented your place among the outstanding coaches in Jamaica’s track and field history.”

“With little to no resources, they managed to bring home this trophy and for me, this championship is even sweeter than the one in 2023,” Dr Small stated.

He highlighted that while the school had the intention to fully support the track and field programme, financial constraints made it difficult to provide all the necessary resources.

“We don’t have the resources to prepare this team for Champs, but what people have to understand is that the school can only do so much. Hydel is transitioning from a private to a public institution and therefore, resources are not flowing as they should,” said Small. “However, we can assure everyone that once the school is gazetted, which is close, we can start investing more into sports, not just track and field.”