Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Anna-Kaye Robinson of St Jago High school winning the Class Three discus final with a throw of 34.30 metres at the VMBS Boys' and Girls' Athletic Championships at the National Stadium yesterday.
Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
DEFENDING CHAMP-IONS Kingston College (KC) and Wolmer's shared the boys' lead while St. Andrew are out front in the girls' section after the opening day of the 2005 VMBS Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.
The North Street boys, led by Alain Bailey's long jump victory in Class One and teammate Carlos Matthias (7.15m) for fifth, made sure Wolmer's expected day one lead didn't become a reality.
The schools are tied on 13 points. Herbert Morrison (five), Morant Bay (three), Jamaica College (two) and Bridgeport (one) followed the leaders after yesterday's lone final.
Bailey, helped by a strong
following wind of 4.7 metres per-second on his way to an impressive 7.88 metre leap, was impressive yesterday. He had earlier recorded a jump of 7.75m, which was helped by a six-metre per-second wind.
Pre-season favourite Tarik Edwards (7.61m) of Wolmer's and his teammate Robert Peddlar (7.21m) were second and third respectively.
great performance
Although they did not win
any event, St. Andrew led by Katherine Forrester's (36.38) third place in the Class
One discus, Christina Barrett's (30.26) and Anna-Lese Nembhard's (29.52) for third and fourth in the discus Class Three, along with Latoya Heath's (12.87) for third in the triple jump Open, did the Half-Way-Tree Road-based school wonders on the opening day.
St. Andrew are on 24 points, eight ahead of Mannings (16), followed by Vere (14), St. Jago (12), Manchester (10), St. Hugh's (nine), Holmwood (nine), Alpha (seven), Morant Bay (five) and Oberlin (two) after three finals.
In the girls' finals completed so far, Kimberley Williams and Rose-Ann Jones led Vere off to an expected fast start by picking up 13 valuable points between them in the girls' triple jump Open.
williams delivers
Williams, a Class Two athlete, lived up to her favourite tag by winning the event with an impressive 13.09 metres leap,
the best and first jump over
13 metres since Shelly-Ann Gallimore set the record (13.43) in 1999.
Holmwood's Rosemarie White, in her first attempt at this event, was second with 12.91m. St. Andrew High's Latoya Heath (12.84), Kimona Smith of Morant Bay (12.74) and Jones (12.15) completed the top five.
St. Hugh's Phelecia Reynolds won her first Champs medal by taking the discus for Class One girls with a throw of 40.15m. In the process, she defeated Alpha's Jerrine Foster (37.93).
In the Class Three discus final, St. Jago's AnnKaye Robinson continued her pre-season form by throwing 34.30m for victory. Robinson defeated Mannings' Jacqueline Buchanan (31.23m) for the gold.
In the fight for honours among the top schools, Calabar and KC boys, along with Holmwood, St. Jago and Vere girls have done equally well so far.
Holmwood have led the way to the finals so far with two athletes, Sonita Sutherland (1:03.24) and Nyoka Cole (1:00.67), in tomorrow's 400m hurdles final, whereas St. Jago with only Tashana Willock (1:01.47). Vere did not enter anyone.
In the boys' equivalent, KC suffered a blow when their top 400m hurdler, Leford Green failed to make it past the first round. Green, who never looked comfortable coming into the straight and, looking back and tiring, fell over the final hurdle.|
KC's other hopeful, Dorran Coley, also failed to advance. Calabar's defending champion Josef Robertson (53.03) was the second fastest behind Markino Buckley of St. Jago (52.98).
As for semi-finals, Holmwood, with Schillonie Calvert (24.48) and Anastasia Le-Roy (24.54), boast the fastest times going into Saturday morning's Class Two semi-finals.
St. Jago's representatives, Lotaya King (25.19) and Taneisha Baker (26.21) at fifth and 16th, along with Vere's Nicole Wilson (25.82) and Julia Smith (25.85), are also in the semis.
In Class Three, Vere and St. Jago both have two qualifiers while Holmwood moved forward with one for Saturday's semi-finals.
Vere's Jura Levy led the way with a 25.30 second clocking, her teammate, Velma Morant (25.93), is the 11th fastest. St. Jago's Daneisha Powell (26.92) and Tashana Francis (26.45) and Holmwood Crystal Hemmings (26.29) are also in.
In Class Four, Holmwood's Petra Fanty (26.31) and Tashana Williams (27.19); Vere's Lanice Hall (26.65) and Peta-Gay Beckford (27.12); St. Jago's Tanya Collier (26.58) and Samantha Woodburn (26.69) have all advanced. Godfrey Stewart's Samantha Curtis (26.22) has the best time.
For the boys, Shane Farlington (24.18) and Sheldon Clarke (24.12) of KC, along Calabar's Demar Ricketts (23.93) and Carlyle Cameron (26.68) booked their place the Class Three semis. Camperdown's Kemar Brown (23.55) had the fastest time.
qualifiers
KC's Cawayne Jervis (22.86) and Shaliek Dawkins (23.33), along with Calabar's duo Akeem Scott (23.48) Sheldon Kane (23.43) made it through. Meadowbrook's Kemmar Marsden (22.77) has the fastest time going into the semis.
While the Class One 200m for girls will start at the semi-final stage, Calabar boys Shavar Clarke (22.04) and Garfield German (22.98) have made progress while Andre Wellington (22.83) will be the only
KC's representative. Holmwood Mickel Downer (21.80) and Omar Brown (22.02) have the fastest times.
Vere and St. Jago have two girls each in this afternoon's Class Four long jump final. Vere have Deon Smith (4.67) and Tenisha Rochester (4.62) while St. Jago have Tanya Bryan (4.89m) and Avril McGee (4.67m), however, Holmwood's Sashawna Bennett had the
second best jump (5.05m).
The boys' Class Two shot put final features two Calabar
athletes, leader Sean-Michael Samuels (13.27m) and third-placed Noel Facey (12.79), while KC's will have only Keiton Wilson (12.65) to depend upon.
KC and Calabar had the
leaders in the Class One discus. Sean Francis (37.42m) and Olando Beckford (36.83), along with Calabar's Jubel Hay (35.24m) and Lenroy King (33.71m).
In the sprint relays, St. Jago advanced to all four finals while Vere and Holmwood are in three. Holmwood failed to qualify in Class Three while Vere dropped the baton in Class One. KC have also advanced to all the 4x100m relay finals.
