Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport EditorIN 1994 the combination of head coach Leacroft Bolt and field events coach Phillip Davy combined to give Manchester High their second hold on the top trophy at the Girls Athletics Championships.
Manchester High had carved their first and only lien on the coveted trophy in 1961 and the pair combined to help the Mandeville-based school to back-to-back championship titles in 1994 and 1995.
Ten years later the duo have brought their show to Half-Way Tree in St. Andrew and will be looking to repeat the feat at St. Andrew High who gained their only title way back in 1962.
"The championships will be very close among five schools but we should do very well," the wily Bolt said on Thursday night.
"It will come down to who makes least mistakes on the day," Bolt added.
St. Andrew, with the astute Davy preparing the athletes, are strong in the field events - especially in the jumps - and Bolt expects to use this strength as a launch pad to glory.
Bolt, who has predicted that the top five schools - Holmwood Technical, St. Jago, Vere Technical, Edwin Allen High and St. Andrew High - will all score over 200 points said his team will be fast out of the blocks and must be caught.
St. Andrew High scored 142.5 points for fifth spot last year but according to Bolt they have strong backing from the entire school community this year and will easily go past that total in 2004.
"We have a far better spread this year in the 42 athletes we are taking to Championships. If everything goes according to plan we should lead on the first day but we might falter on the last day," Bolt said.
St. Andrew High's star is expected to be Class One athlete Anna-Kaye Campbell.
Campbell will compete in the long and high jumps, heptathlon and 4x100m.
"She will win the high jump and there is also a strong possibility she will also win the long jump as she is the leader in this event this season based on results in the development meets," Bolt said. Campbell was second in the heptathlon last year and he also expects her to maintain that position.
EXPECTING GREAT THINGS
Bolt is also expecting great things from veteran performer Arusha McKenzie.
McKenzie, who leaves for Villanova University in the United States at the end of the school year has a heavy load. She will compete in Class One 400m, 800m, 400m and the 4x400m Open.
"Arusha (McKenzie) will as usual provide her honest share of points. She has always provided us with 12 or more points," Bolt said.
St. Andrew High are banking on Latoya Heath in Class Two. Heath is undefeated in the 100m hurdles this season and is also a top contender in the triple jump. In Class Two also there are two other 'sure things' in the field events. Sakina Bowman who was second in the high jump last year is undefeated in the event this season with a best of 1.70m. Rosalee Dunbar won Class Two discus last year and is back at the level.
Bolt has high hopes for Todea-Kay Willis in Class Three.
"She will compete in the 80m hurdles, 100m and long jump. Todea-Kaye is a netballer who has made massive improvement in track and field this year and we expect great things from her."
St. Andrew High are also looking to the pair of Hayley Grant and Sanchia Lee to lower the colours of Edwin Allen High in the Class Three 800m and 1,500m.
Latoya McDermoth has also been running some great splits on her team's 4x400m and is tipped by Bolt to do extremely well in this event.
St. Andrew's real 'secret weapon' is former Hydel Prep student Natasha Powell in the Class Four sprints.
"She was injured and ran for the first time at the G.C. Foster Classic a week ago clocking 12.2 over 100. She will run only the 100m at the championships," Bolt said.
In conclusion, the St. Andrew High coach hinted that the high jumps could make or break his push for glory.
"We are looking to get well over 50 points from the high jump. St. Andrew can win three of four and score well in the other classes," he said.
