Jermaine Myers of Holmwood Technical celebrates his impressive win in the Class One 800 metres final on the final day of the VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships at G.C. Foster College yesterday. Myers won in 1.50.11 from teammate Kirk Wint, 1.52.41, and St. Jago's Marvin Pinnock, 1.52.56. -Michael SloleyElton Tucker, assistant Sport Editor
KINGSTON COLLEGE and Vere Technical High are again kings and queens of high school track and field.
The defending champions retained the titles in contrasting fashion as the VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships ended at G.C. Foster College yesterday following five days of exciting action.
It was smooth sailing for KC from day one as the North Street-based school drew heavily on their traditional strength in the field events to lead all the way for their 26th Championships title.
Hurdles and field events coach Lennox Graham said they knew it would have been hard to beat KC after the first two days.
"The difference this year from last year is that we did a lot of relay work and improved our relay teams and that is where we knew we could hold off any challenge when it came down to the final day," Graham said.
Vere, however, had to dig deep on a wet and windy last day to beat back the twin challenges of a determined St. Jago High and an ultra-talented Holmwood Technical. The lead changed hands between the top two throughout the afternoon until Vere edged away during the sprint relays to deny their rivals.
It was very close at the end. Vere won with 273.93 points, ahead of St. Jago 265.43, Holmwood 261.43 and Edwin Allen Comprehensive fourth on 183.
KC tallied 198.5 to be well clear of main rivals Bridgeport with 151. Calabar were next on 123.5 followed by St. Jago on 102.5 and Jamaica College on 91.5.
It was a member of the Vere Technical boys team, however, who stole the spotlight on the final day. Steve Mullings pulled the curtain down on his championships career with two brilliant runs.
In the Class One 200 metres final the silky smooth Mullings, running against a minus 3.27 metres per second headwind, romped to a 20.79 seconds clocking to lower the 20.88 mark he set a day earlier in the semi-finals.
Mullings then showed he had no sprint rival at this level when he took his team from well behind in the Class One sprint relay to a record 40.46.
They could have gone lower. Ten metres out Mullings had time to change the baton from one hand to the other and spread his arms to celebrate. Vere's time broke the 40.51 set by Camperdown in 1998. Camperdown were second in yesterday's race in 20.94 while Bridgeport were third in 41.03.
Central High of May Pen won their first relay gold medal at Boys Champion-ships by taking the Class Three 4x100m in 44.47 while Wolmer's Boys held off KC to win the Class Two 4x100m in 42.50. KC were second in 42.66 and Calabar third in 42.96.
Jermaine Myers led a Holmwood Technical one-two in Class One 800m. Myers, one of Jamaica's hopes for a medal in the upcoming World Junior Champions, won in 1.50.11 ahead of teammate Kirk Wint who clocked 1.52.41.
In Class Two, Lewisville's Prette Remekie crossed the line for gold in 1.59.2 just edging Wolmer's Boys Tywayne Buchanan 1.59.3 and Jerome Francis of Tacius Golding 1.59.4.
Excelsior's Rhodnie Spence won Class Three 800m in 2.06.59 with Robert Watson of Edwin Allen Comprehen-sive getting silver in 2.07.24 and Theon O'Connor (Campion) bagging bronze in 2.07.52.
