Hartley Neita, Contributor
THIS YEAR'S track and field season has now ended with Jamaican athletes showing the world that we are the best.
I have the pleasure of compiling a daily reminder in this newspaper about events which took place on the date of publication in the past. This column reminds readers of events ranging from birthdays, weddings, political events and sporting activities.
This week, as I reflected on what our athletes have been doing on the world stage, I made a search for interesting athletic events, and thought I would share them with you today.
If one is to identify a beginning for us in track and field, it has to be the first time the Inter-Secondary Schoolboys Championship Sports were held at Sabina Park in 1910. In those days, and up to more recent years, Sabina was the scene, not only of cricket matches, but also lawn tennis tournaments, boxing bouts, and other sports. The first track meet took place between Wolmer's, Jamaica College, St. George's, Potsdam (now Munro), New College and Mandeville Middle Grade School.
SOFT LANDING
Despite the mighty contingent of Jamaica College superstars, led by Norman Manley, it was Wolmer's which won this meet. One of the amusing things about it, in retrospect, is that there was no sand, foam or other form of soft landing for the high jump competitors. They landed, as they had jumped, on the earth. And guess what, straw mattresses were provided for pole vaulters to land.
For many succeeding years, only four schools took part in this meet, Jamaica College, St. George's, Wolmer's and Potsdam. For most of those early years, Jamaica College won the cup, and in their team were L.E. and N.N. Ashenheim who subsequently became roly-poly, portly men, a far cry from their athletic looks when they were at school.
In 1915, an interesting sidelight was that Rudolph Burke, grandfather of some of today's politicians, won the 100, 220 and 440 yards in Class 2 in faster times than the winners of these events did in Class 1. In 1917, Guy Graham of Calabar won 16 points which was the same number of points gained by his school and placed them third. This was repeated by John Searchwell of Titchfield School in 1936 when he won the half mile, and placed second in the Throwing of the Cricket Ball and the Long Jump Class 1 to gain seven points, which was the same number won by the school.
One of the early rules I find interesting, and which I find a more suitable disciplinary action against false starters than what is now done is that: "If any competitor overstepped the mark at the start before the starting pistol was fired, the starter shall at his discretion put him back one yard where the distance of the race did not exceed 220 yards; two yards where the distance exceeded 220 yards, but did not exceed 440 yards' and three yards when the distance exceeded 440 yards but did not exceed 880 yards." It was after a third offence that the offender was disqualified.
Donald Sangster was the only other subsequent Prime Minister, apart from Norman Manley, who was a competitor in these championships. One year he was involved in a three-way tie in the Class 1 high jump to place second, and in the succeeding year he placed second in the 120 yards hurdles (Open). Michael Manley spent hours running around the JC track in 1942, training himself for the one-mile race, which was introduced that year, but never made it to the championships because he was asked to leave the school.
Interestingly, the first time it was suggested that the one-mile should be included on the programme, the idea was rejected outright as it was "considered inadvisable, on account of the climate, to have schoolboys race over such a long distance" When it was finally introduced in 1942, it was won for the first time by P.C. Bacquie of Munro in a time of 5 minutes. He would have been left far down the track today.
In 1936, the 220-yard track at Sabina was re-measured with a steel tape after fast times were recorded, and it was found that the track was three feet short. This was because it had been measured by a linen tape.
With the opening of the National Stadium in 1962, the championships were shifted to this new facility, returning to Sabina in 1983. Except for nine years when they were held at Melbourne and Kensington Parks, it was at Sabina that boys with girls from their sister schools screamed their cheers and suffered from hoarse throats for days and nights after. From then, it was the more commodious National Stadium with its modern track and other facilities. From four schools at Sabina in 1910, over 80 schools now take part.
The glory days have continued. And multiplied.
